UC-NRLF 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


OF" 


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Q.  .....  , 

y  • 


-  .....  Cd.,. 


MSB* 


XV 


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THE 


BUILDING   CODE 

OF  THE 

CITY  OF  NEW  YORK. 


IQOI. 


(137  D3. 


DEPARTMENT  OF   BUILDINGS. 


THOMAS  J.  BRADY, 


PRESIDENT  OP  THE  BOARD  OF  BUILDINGS  AND 
COMMISSIONER  OF  BUILDINGS  FOE  THE  BOROUGHS 
OF  MANHATTAN  AND  THE  BRONX. 

OFFICE  :  220  FOURTH  AVENUE,  BOROUGH  OF  MANHATTAN. 


JOHN  GUILFOYLE, 


COMMISSIONER  OF  BUILDINGS  FOR  THE  BOROUGH 
OF  BROOKLYN. 

OFFICE:  BOROUGH  HALL,  BOROUGH  OF  BROOKLYN. 


DANIEL  CAMPBELL, 


COMMISSIONER  OF  BUILDINGS  FOR  THE  BOROUGHS 
OF  RICHMOND  AND  QUEENS. 

OFFICE  :  RICHMOND  BUILDING,  NEW  BRIGHTON,  BOROUGH 
OF  RICHMOND. 

BRANCH  OFFICE  :  ROOM  1,  TOWN  HALL,  JAMAICA,  BOROUGH 
OF  QUEENS. 


IQOI. 

143153 


THE  BUILDING  CODE 

PROVIDING  FOR  ALL  MATTERS  CONCERNING,  AFFECTING  OH 
RELATING  TO  THE  CONSTRUCTION,  ALTERATION  OR  RE- 
MOVAL OF  BUILDINGS  OR  STRUCTURES  ERECTED  OR  TO  BE 
ERECTED  IN  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK,  AS  CONSTITUTED  BY 
THE  GREATER  NEW  YORK  CHARTER. 


ADOPTED  BY  THE  BOARD  OF  ALDERMEN  SEPT.  12,  1899. 
ADOPTED  BY  THE  COUNCIL  OCT.  10,  1899. 
APPROVED  BY  THE  MAYOR  OCT.  24,  1899. 


Be  it  ordained  by  the  Municipal  Assembly,  pursuant 
to  section  647  of  the  Greater  New  York  Charter,  as 
follows: 


FORM  83-1901. 

OF 


PART  I. 
SHORT  TITLE  OF  THIS  ORDINANCE. 

A  REMEDIAL  ORDINANCE. 

Sec.  i. — This  ordinance  to  be  known  and  cited  as  the 
Building  Code,  and  presumptively  contains  the  Building 
Law,  except  so  far  as  such  provisions  are  contained  in 
the  Charter— The  following  provisions  shall  constitute 
and  be  known  as  The  Building  Code  and  may  be  cited 
as  such,  and  presumptively  provides  for  all  matters  con- 
cerning, affecting  or  relating  to  the  construction,  altera- 
tion or  removal  of  buildings  or  structures  erected  or  to 
be  erected  in  The  City  of  New  York,  as  constituted  by 
the  "Greater  New  York  Charter,"  except  so  far  as  such 
provisions  are  contained  in  said  charter. 

Sec.  2.— Building  Code  to  Be  Construed  Liberally. 
This  ordinance  is  hereby  declared  to  be  remedial,  and  is 
to  be  construed  liberally,  to  secure  the  beneficial  interests 
and  purposes  thereof. 

PART  II. 

PRELIMINARY  REQUIREMENTS. 

Section  3. — New  Buildings  and  Buildings  to  Be  Al- 
tered. No  wall,  structure,  building,  or  part  thereof,  shall 
hereafter  be  built  or  constructed,  nor  shall  the  plumbing 
or  drainage  of  any  building,  structure  or  premises,  be 
constructed  or  altered,  in  the  City  of  New  York,  except 
in  conformity  with  the  provisions  of  this  Code.  No 
building  already  erected,  or  hereafter  to  be  built,  in  said 


city,  shall  be  raised,  altered,  moved  or  built  upon  in  any 
manner,  that  would  be  in  violation  of  any  of  the  pro- 
visions of  this  Code,  or  the  approval  issued  thereunder. 

Sec.  4. — Filing  Plans  and  Statements.  Before  the  erec- 
tion, construction  or  alteration  of  any  building  or  part 
of  any  building,  structure,  or  part  of  any  structure,  or 
wall,  or  any  platform,  staging  or  flooring  to  be  used  for 
standing  or  seating  purposes,  and  before  the  construc- 
tion or  alteration  of  the  plumbing  or  drainage  of  any 
building,  structure  or  premises  is  commenced,  the  owner 
or  lessee,  or  agent  of  either,  or  the  architect  or  builder 
employed  by  such  owner  or  lessee  in  connection  with  the 
proposed  erection  or  alteration,  shall  submit  to  the  Com- 
missioner of  Buildings  for  the  borough  in  which  the 
premises  are  situated  a  detailed  statement  in  triplicate  of 
the  specifications,  on  appropriate  blanks  to  be  furnished 
to  applicants  by  the  Department  of  Buildings  and  a  full 
and  complete  copy  of  the  plans  of  such  proposed  work, 
and  such  structural  detail  drawings  of  said  proposed 
work  as  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  juris- 
diction may  require,  all  of  which  shall  be  accompanied 
with  a  statement  in  writing,  sworn  to  before  a  notary 
public  or  commissioner  of  deeds,  giving  the  full  name 
and  residence,  street  and  number,  of  the  owner,  or  of 
each  of  the  owners  of  said  building,  or  proposed  build- 
ing, structure  or  proposed  structure,  premises,  wall, 
platform,  staging  or  flooring.  If  such  erection,  construc- 
tion or  alteration,  plumbing  or  drainage,  or  the  altera- 
tion thereof,  is  proposed  to  be  made  or  executed  by  any 
other  person  than  the  owner  or  owners  of  the  land  in 
fee,  the  person  or  persons  intending  to  make  such  erec- 
tion or  alteration,  or  to  construct  such  plumbing  or 
drainage,  shall  accompany  said  detailed  statement  of  the 
specifications  and  copy  of  the  plans,  with  a  statement  in 


writing  sworn  to  as  aforesaid,  giving  the  full  name  and 
residence,  street  and  number,  of  the  owner  or  owners  of 
the  land,  or  proposed  building,  structure,  or  proposed 
structure,  premises,  wall,  platform,  staging  or  flooring 
either  as  owner,  lessee,  or  in  any  representative  capacity, 
and  that  he  or  they  are  duly  authorized  to  perform  said 
work.  Such  statement  may  be  made  by  the  agent,  or 
architect  of  the  person  or  persons  hereinbefore  required 
to  make  the  same.  Any  false  swearing  in  a  material 
point  in  any  statement  submitted  in  pursuance  of  the 
provisions  of  this  section  shall  be  deemed  perjury,  and 
shall  be  punishable  as  such.  Said  sworn  statement,  and 
detailed  statement  of  specifications,  and  copy  of  the  plans 
shall  be  kept  on  file  in  the  office  of  the  Commissioner 
of  Buildings  for  the  borough  where  the  premises  to 
which  they  relate  are  situated,  and  the  erection,  construc- 
tion, or  alteration  of  said  building,  structure,  wall,  plat- 
form, staging  or  flooring,  or  any  part  thereof,  and  the 
construction  or  alteration  of  the  said  plumbing  or  drain- 
age, shall  not  be  commenced  or  proceeded  with,  until 
said  statements  and  plans  shall  have  been  so  filed,  and 
approved  by  the  said  Commissioner  of  Buildings,  and 
the  erection,  construction  or  alteration  of  such  build- 
ing, structure,  platform,  staging  or  flooring,  and  the  con- 
struction or  alteration  of  such  plumbing  or  drainage 
when  proceeded  with  shall  be  constructed  in  accordance 
with  such  approved  detailed  statement  of  specifications 
and  copy  of  plans.  Nothing  in  this  section  shall  be  con- 
strued to  prevent  a  commissioner  of  buildings  from 
granting  his  approval  for  the  erection  of  any  part  of  a 
building,  or  any  part  of  a  structure,  where  plans  and 
detailed  statements  have  been  presented  for  the  same 
before  the  entire  plans  and  detailed  statements  of  said 
building  or  structure  have  been  submitted.  Any  approval 


which  may  be  issued  by  a  commissioner  of  buildings 
pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  this  section,  but  under 
which  no  work  is  commenced  within  one  year  from  the 
time  of  issuance,  shall  expire  by  limitation.  Ordinary 
repairs  of  buildings  or  structures,  or  of  the  plumbing  or 
drainage  thereof,  may  be  made  without  notice  to  the 
Department  of  Buildings,  but  such  repairs  shall  not  be 
construed  to  include  the  cutting  away  of  any  stone  or 
brick  wall,  or  any  portion  thereof,  the  removal  or  cut- 
ting of  any  beams  or  supports,  or  the  removal,  change 
or  closing  of  any  staircase,  or  the  alteration  of  any 
house  sewer  or  private  sewer  or  drainage  sys- 
tem, or  the  construction  of  any  soil  or  waste 
pipe.  The  foregoing  provisions  and  all  the  pro- 
visions of  this  Code  shall  apply  with  equal 
force  to  buildings,  both  municipal  and  private.  It  shall 
be  the  duty  of  the  commissioner  of  buildings  having 
jurisdiction  to  approve  or  reject  any  plan  filed  with  him 
pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  this  section  within  a  rea- 
sonable time. 

Sec.  5. — Demolishing  Buildings.  When  plans  and  de- 
tailed statements  are  filed  in  the  Department  of  Build- 
ings for  the  erection  of  a  new  building,  if  an  existing 
building  or  part  of  an  existing  building  is  to  be  demol- 
ished, such  fact  shall  be  stated  in  the  statement  so  filed. 

In  demolishing  any  building,  story  after  story  shall  be 
completely  removed.  No  material  shall  be  placed  upon 
the  floor  of  any  such  building  in  the  course  of  demoli- 
tion, but  the  brick,  timbers  and  other  structural  parts 
of  each  story  shall  be  lowered  to  the  ground  immediately 
upon  displacement.  The  owner,  architect,  builder  or 
contractor  for  any  building,  structure,  premises,  wall, 
platform,  staging  or  flooring  to  be  demolished  shall  give 
not  less  than  twenty-four  hours'  notice  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  Buildings  of  such  intended  demolition. 


n 


PART  III. 
DEFINITIONS. 

Sec.  6. — Measurement  of  Height  for  Buildings  and 
Walls.  The  height  of  buildings  shall  be  measured  from 
the  curb  level  at  the  centre  of  the  front  of  the  building 
to  the  top  of  the  highest  point  of  the  roof  beams  in  the 
case  of  flat  roofs,  and  for  high-pitched  roofs  the  average 
of  the  height  of  the  gable  shall  be  taken  as  the  highest 
point  of  the  building. 

In  case  a  wall  is  carried  on  iron  or  steel  girders  or 
iron  or  steel  girders  and  columns,  or  piers  of  masonry, 
the  measurements,  as  to  height  for  the  wall,  may  be 
taken  from  the  top  of  such  girder. 

When  the  walls  of  a  structure  do  not  adjoin  the  street, 
then  the  average  level  for  the  ground  adjoining  the  walls 
may  be  taken  instead  of  the  street  curb  level  for  the 
height  of  such  structure. 

Sec.  7. — Measurement  for  Width  of  Buildings.  For 
the  purposes  of  this  Code,  the  greatest  linear  dimension 
of  any  building  shall  be  considered  its  length  and  the 
next  greatest  linear  dimension  its  width. 

Sec.  8. — Private  Dwellings,  Definition  Of.  A  private 
dwelling  shall  be  taken  to  mean  and  include  every  build- 
ing, which  shall  be  intended  or  designed  for,  or  used  as, 
the  home  or  residence  of  not  more  than  two  separate 
and  distinct  families  or  households,  and  in  which  not 
more  than  fifteen  rooms  shall  be  used  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  boarders,  and  no  part  of  which  structure  is 
used  as  a  store  or  for  any  business  purpose.  Two  or 
more  such  dwellings  may  be  connected  on  each  story 
when  used  for  boarding  purposes,  provided  the  halls 
and  stairs  of  each  house  shall  be  left  unaltered.  Any 


12 

such  building  hereafter  erected  shall  not  cover  more 
than  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  lot  area. 

Sec.  9. — Apartment-Houses,  Definition  Of.  An  apart- 
ment-house shall  be  taken  to  mean  and  include  every 
building,  which  shall  be  intended  or  designed  for,  or  used 
as,  the  home  or  residence  of  three  or  more  families  or 
households,  living  independently  of  each  other,  and  in 
which  every  such  family  or  household,  shall  have  pro- 
vided for  it  a  kitchen,  set  bath  tub  and  water  closet,  sep- 
arate and  apart  from  any  other.  Any  such  building 
hereafter  erected  shall  not  cover  any  greater  percentage 
of  a  lot  than  is  lawful  to  be  covered  by  a  tenement- 
house,  and  the  requirements  for  light  and  ventilation  for 
a  tenement-house  shall  also  apply  to  an  apartment-house. 

Sec.  io.— Hotel,  Definition  Of.  A  hotel  shall  be  taken 
to  mean  and  include  every  building,  or  part  thereof,  in- 
tended, designed  or  used  for  supplying  food  and  shelter 
to  residents  or  guests,  and  having  a  general  public  din- 
ing-room or  a  cafe,  or  both,  and  containing  also  more 
than  fifteen  sleeping  rooms  above  the  first  story.  When- 
ever any  such  building  hereafter  erected  shall  be  located 
on  any  other  than  a  corner  lot  or  plot,  it  shall  not  cover 
in  the  aggregate  more  than  90  per  cent,  of  the  area  of 
such  lot  or  plot  at  and  above  the  second  story  floor  level, 
if  not  more  than  five  stories  in  height,  and  two  and  one- 
half  per  cent,  less  for  every  additional  story  in  height; 
and  on  a  corner  lot,  when  covering  an  area  of  not  more 
than  3,000  square  feet,  it  shall  not  occupy  more  than  95 
per  cent,  of  the  area  of  such  lot  at  and  above  the  sec- 
ond story  level.  In  case  any  such  building  is  to  occupy 
a  number  of  lots,  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  hav- 
ing jurisdiction  may  allow  the  free  air  space,  propor- 
tioned as  herein  stated,  to  be  distributed  in  such  manner 


13 

as,  in  his  opinion,  will  equally  as  well  secure  light  and 
ventilation. 

Sec.  ii. — Office  Buildings,  Definition  Of.  An  office 
building  shall  be  taken  to  mean  and  include  every  build- 
ing which  shall  be  divided  into  rooms  above  the  first 
story,  and  be  intended  and  used  for  business  purposes, 
and  no  part  of  which  shall  be  used  for  living  purposes, 
excepting  only  for  the  janitor  and  his  family. 

Office  buildings  when  not  erected  on  a  corner  shall 
not  cover  more  than  90  per  cent,  of  the  lot  area,  at  and 
above  the  second  story  floor  level. 

Sec.  12. — Frame  Buildings,  Definition  Of.  A  frame 
building  shall  be  taken  to  mean  a  building  or  structure 
of  which  the  exterior  walls  or  a  portion  thereof  shall  be 
constructed  of  wood.  Buildings  sheathed  with  boards, 
and  partially  or  entirely  covered  with  four  inches  of 
brickwork,  shall  be  deemed  to  be  frame  buildings. 
Wood  frames  covered  with  metal  shall  be  deemed  to  be 
wood  structures. 


PART  IV. 
QUALITY  OF  MATERIALS. 

Sec.  13.— Brick.  The  brick  used  in  all  buildings  shall 
be  good,  hard,  well  burnt  brick. 

When  old  brick  are  used  in  any  wall  they  shall  be 
thoroughly  cleaned  before  being  used,  and  shall  be 
whole  and  good,  hard,  well  burnt  brick. 

Sec.  14. — Sand.  The  sand  used  for  mortar  in  all  build- 
ings shall  be  clean,  sharp  grit  sand,  free  from  loam  or 
dirt,  and  shall  not  be  finer  than  the  standard  samples 
kept  in  the  office  of  the  Department  of  Buildings. 


14 

Sec.  15. — Lime  Mortar.     Lime  mortar  shall  be  made 

of  one  part  of  lime  and  not  more  than  four  parts  of  sand. 
All  lime  used  for  mortar  shall  be  thoroughly  burnt,  of 
good  quality,  and  properly  slaked  before  it  is  mixed  with 
the  sand. 

Sec.  16. — Cement  Mortar.  Cement  mortar  shall  be 
made  of  cement  and  sand  in  the  proportion  of  one  part 
of  cement  and  not  more  than  three  parts  of  sand,  and 
shall  be  used  immediately  after  being  mixed.  The  ce- 
ment and  sand  are  to  be  measured  and  thoroughly 
mixed  before  adding  water. 

Cements  must  be  very  finely  ground  and  free  from 
lumps. 

Cements  classed  as  Portland  cement  shall  be  consid- 
ered to  mean  such  cement  as  will,  when  tested  neat,  after 
one  day  set  in  air  be  capable  of  sustaining  without  rup- 
ture a  tensile  strain  of  at  least  120  pounds  per  square 
inch,  and  after  one  day  in  air  and  six  days  in  water  be 
capable  of  sustaining  without  rupture  a  tensile  strain  of 
at  least  300  pounds  per  square  inch.  Cements  other  than 
Portland  cement  shall  be  considered  to  mean  such  ce- 
ment as  will,  when  tested  neat,  after  one  day  set  in  air 
be  capable  of  sustaining  without  rupture  a  tensile  strain 
of  at  least  60  pounds  per  square  inch,  and  after  one  day 
in  air  and  6  days  in  water  be  capable  of  sustaining  with- 
out rupture  a  tensile  strain  of  at  least  120  pounds  per 
square  inch.  Said  tests  are  to  be  made  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  juris- 
diction, at  such  times  as  he  may  determine  and  a  rec- 
ord of  all  cements  answering  the  above  requirements 
shall  be  kept  for  public  information. 

Sec.  17. — Cement  and  Lime  Mortar.  Cement  and  lime 
mortar  mixed  shall  be  made  of  one  part  of  lime,  one 


15 

part  of  cement  and  not  more  than  three  parts  of  sand 
to  each. 

Sec.  18. — Concrete.  Concrete  for  foundations  shall  be 
made  of  at  least  one  part  of  cement,  two  parts  of  sand 
and  five  parts  of  clean  broken  stone,  of  such  size  so  as 
to  pass  in  any  way  through  a  2-inch  ring,  or  good  clean 
gravel  may  be  used  in  the  same  proportion  as  broken 
stone.  The  cement,  sand  and  stone  or  gravel  shall  be 
measured  and  mixed  as  is  prescribed  for  mortar.  All 
concrete  when  in  place  shall  be  properly  rammed  and 
allowed  to  set  without  being  disturbed. 

Sec.  19. — Quality  of  Timber.  All  timbers  and  wood 
beams  used  in  any  building  shall  be  of  good  sound  ma- 
terial free  from  rot,  large  and  loose  knots,  shakes  or 
any  imperfection  whereby  the  strength  may  be  impaired, 
and  be  of  such  size  and  dimensions  as  the  purposes  for 
which  the  building  is  intended  require. 

Sec.  20. — Tests  of  New  Materials.  New  structural  ma- 
terial of  whatever  nature  shall  be  subjected  to  such  tests 
to  determine  its  character  and  quality,  as  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Buildings  for  the  borough  in  which  the  ma- 
terial is  to  be  used  shall  direct;  the  tests  shall  be  made 
under  the  supervision  of  said  Commissioner,  or  he  may 
direct  the  architect  or  owner  to  file  with  him  a  certified 
copy  of  the  results  of  tests,  such  as  he  may  direct  shall 
be  made. 

Sec.  21. — Structural  Material.  Wrought  Iron.  All 
wrought  iron  shall  be  uniform  in  character,  fibrous, 
tough  and  ductile.  It  shall  have  an  ultimate  tensile  re- 
sistance of  not  less  than  48,000  Ibs.  per  square  inch, 
an  elastic  limit  of  not  less  than  24,000  Ibs.  per 
square  inch,  and  an  elongation  of  20  per  cent,  in  eight 
inches,  when  tested  in  small  specimens. 


i6 

Steel.  All  structural  steel  shall  have  an  ultimate  ten- 
sile strength  of  from  54,000  pounds  to  64,000  pounds  per 
square  inch.  Its  elastic  limit  shall  be  not  less  than  32.- 
ooo  pounds  per  square  inch  and  a  minimum  elongation 
of  not  less  than  20  per  cent,  in  eight  inches.  Rivet  steel 
shall  have  an  ultimate  strength  of  from  50,000  to  58,000 
pounds  per  square  inch. 

Cast  Steel.  Shall  be  made  of  open  hearth  steel,  con- 
taining one-quarter  to  one-half  per  cent,  of  carbon,  not 
over  eight  one-hundredths  of  one  per  cent,  of  phos- 
phorus, and  shall  be  practically  free  from  blow-holes. 

Cast  Iron.  Shall  be  of  good  foundry  mixture,  pro- 
ducing a  clean,  tough,  gray  iron.  Sample  bars,  five  feet 
long,  one  inch  square,  cast  in  sand  moulds,  placed  on 
supports  four  feet  six  inches  apart,  shall  bear  a  central 
load  of  450  pounds  before  breaking.  Castings  shall  be 
free  of  serious  blow-holes,  cinder  spots  and  cold  shuts. 
Ultimate  tensile  strength  shall  be  not  less  than  16,000 
pounds  per  square  inch  when  tested  in  small  specimens. 


PART  V. 
EXCAVATIONS  AND  FOUNDATIONS. 

Sec.  22. — Excavations.  All  excavations  for  buildings 
shall  be  properly  guarded  and  protected  so  as  to  prevent 
the  same  from  becoming  dangerous  to  life  or  limb  and 
shall  be  sheath-piled  where  necessary  to  prevent  the  ad- 
joining earth  from  caving  in,  by  the  person  or  persons 
causing  the  excavations  to  be  made.  Plans  filed  in  the 
Department  of  Buildings  shall  be  accompanied  by  a 
statement  of  the  character  of  the  soil  at  the  level  of  the 
footings. 

Whenever  an  excavation  of  either  earth  or  rock  for 
building  or  other  purposes  shall  be  intended  to  be,  or 


17 

shall  be  carried  to  the  depth  of  more  than  ten  feet  below 
the  curb,  the  person  or  persons  causing  such  excava- 
tion to  be  made  shall  at  all  times,  from  the  commence- 
ment until  the  completion  thereof,  if  afforded  the  neces- 
sary license  to  enter  upon  the  adjoining  land  and  not 
otherwise,  at  his  or  their  own  expense  preserve  any  ad- 
joining or  contiguous  wall  or  walls,  structure  or  struc- 
tures from  injury,  and  support  the  same  by  proper  foun- 
dations, so  that  the  said  wall  or  walls,  structure  or  struc- 
tures, shall  be  and  remain  practically  as  safe  as  before 
such  excavation  was  commenced,  whether  the  said  ad- 
joining or  contiguous  wall  or  walls,  structure  or  struc- 
tures, are  down  more  or  less  than  ten  feet  below  the 
curb.  If  the  necessary  license  is  not  accorded  to  the 
person  or  persons  making  such  excavation,  then  it  shall 
be  the  duty  of  the  owner  refusing  to  grant  such  license 
to  make  the  adjoining  or  contiguous  wall  or  walls,  struc- 
ture or  structures,  safe,  and  support  the  same  by  proper 
foundations  so  that  adjoining  excavations  may  be  made, 
and  shall  be  permitted  to  enter  upon  the  premises  where 
such  excavation  is  being  made  for  that  purpose,  when 
necessary.  If  such  excavation  shall  not  be  intended  to 
be,  or  shall  not  be,  carried  to  a  depth  of  more  than  ten 
feet  below  the  curb,  the  owner  or  owners  of  such  ad- 
joining or  contiguous  wall  or  walls,  structure  or  struc- 
tures, shall  preserve  the  same  from  injury,  and  so  sup- 
port the  same  by  proper  foundations  that  it  or  they  shall 
be  and  remain  practically  as  safe  as  before  such  excava- 
tion was  commenced,  and  shall  be  permitted  to  enter 
upon  the  premises  where  such  excavation  is  being  made 
for  that  purpose,  when  necessary. 

In  case  an  adjoining  party  wall  is  intended  to  be  used 
by  the  person  or  persons  causing  the  excavation  to  be 
made,  and  such  party  wall  is  in  good  condition  and  suf 


i8 

ficient  for  the  uses  of  the  adjoining  building,  then  and  in 
such  case  the  person  or  persons  causing  the  excavations 
to  be  made  shall,  at  his  or  their  own  expense,  preserve 
such  party  wall  from  injury  and  support  the  same  by 
proper  foundations,  so  that  said  party  wall  shall  be  and 
remain  practically  as  safe  as  before  the  excavation  was 
commenced. 

If  the  person  or  persons  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  pre- 
serve or  protect  any  wall  or  walls,  structure  or  struc- 
tures from  injury  shall  neglect  or  fail  so  to  do  after  hav- 
ing had  a  notice  of  twenty-four  hours  from  the  Depart- 
ment of  Buildings,  then  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings 
may  enter  upon  the  premises  and  employ  such  labor,  and 
furnish  such  materials,  and  take  such  steps  as,  in  his 
judgment,  may  be  necessary  to  make  the  same  safe  and 
secure,  or  to  prevent  the  same  from  becoming  unsafe  or 
dangerous,  at  the  expense  of  the  person  or  persons 
whose  duty  it  is  to  keep  the  same  safe  and  secure.  Any 
party  doing  the  said  work,  or  any  part  thereof,  under 
and  by  direction  of  the  said  Department  of  Buildings, 
may  bring  and  maintain  an  action  against  the  person  or 
persons  last  herein  referred  to,  to  recover  the  value  of 
the  work  done  and  materials  furnished,  in  and  about  the 
said  premises,  in  the  same  manner  as  if  he  had  been  em- 
ployed to  do  the  said  work  by  the  said  person  or  per- 
sons. When  an  excavation  is  made  on  any  lot,  the  per- 
son or  persons  causing  such  excavation  to  be  made  shall 
build,  at  his  or  their  own  cost  and  expense,  a  retaining- 
wall  to  support  the  adjoining  earth;  and  such  retaining- 
wall  shall  be  carried  to  the  height  of  the  adjoining  earth, 
and  be  properly  protected  by  coping.  The  thickness  of  a 
retaining-wall  at  its  base  shall  be  in  no  case  less  than 
one-fourth  of  its  height. 


19 

Sec.  23. — Bearing  Capacity  of  Soil.  Where  no  test  of 
the  sustaining  power  of  the  soil  is  made  different  soils, 
excluding  mud,  at  the  bottom  of  the  footings,  shall  be 
deemed  to  safely  sustain  the  following  loads  to  the  su- 
perficial foot,  namely:  Soft  clay,  one  ton  per  square 
foot;  ordinary  clay  and  sand  together,  in  layers,  wet  and 
springy,  two  tons  per  square  foot ;  loam,  clay  or  fine 
sand,  firm  and  dry,  three  tons  per  square  foot;  very 
firm,  coarse  sand,  stiff  gravel  or  hard  clay,  four  tons  per 
square  foot,  or  as  otherwise  determined  by  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction.  Where  a  test 
is  made  of  the  sustaining  power  of  the  soil  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Buildings  shall  be  notified  so  that  he  may  be 
present  in  person  or  by  representative.  The  record  of 
the  test  shall  be  filed  in  the  Department  of  Buildings. 
When  a  doubt  arises  as  to  the  safe  sustaining  power  of 
the  earth  upon  which  a  building  is  to  be  erected  the 
Department  of  Buildings  may  order  borings  to  be  made, 
or  direct  the  sustaining  power  of  the  soil  to  be  tested  by 
and  at  the  expense  of  the  owner  of  the  proposed  build- 
ing. 

Sec.  24. — Pressure  Under  Footings  of  Foundations. 
The  loads  exerting  pressure  under  the  footings  of  foun- 
dations in  buildings  more  than  three  (3)  stories  in  height 
are  to  be  computed  as  follows:  For  warehouses  and 
factories  they  are  to  be  the  full  dead  load  and  the  full 
live  load  established  by  section  130  of  this  Code.  In 
stores  and  buildings  for  light  manufacturing  purposes 
they  are  to  be  the  full  dead  load  and  seventy-five  per 
cent,  of  the  live  load  established  by  section  130  of  this 
Code. 

In  churches,  school-houses  and  places  of  public 
amusement  or  assembly,  they  are  to  be  the  full  dead  load 


20 

and  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  live  load  established  by 
section  130  of  this  Code. 

In  office  buildings,  hotels,  dwellings,  apartment-houses, 
tenement-houses,  lodging-houses  and  stables  they  are  to 
be  the  full  dead  load  and  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  live  load 
established  by  section  130  of  this  Code. 

Footings  shall  be  so  designed  that  the  loads  will  be  as 
nearly  uniform  as  possible  and  not  in  excess  of  the  safe 
bearing  capacity  of  the  soil,  as  established  by  section  23 
of  this  Code. 

Sec.  25. — Foundations.  Every  building  except  build- 
ings erected  upon  solid  rock  or  buildings  erected  upon 
wharves  and  piers  on  the  water  front,  shall  have  founda- 
tions of  brick,  stone,  iron,  steel  or  concrete  laid  not  less 
than  four  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  earth,  on  the  solid 
ground  or  level  surface  of  rock,  or  upon  piles  or  rang- 
ing timbers  when  solid  earth  or  rock  is  not  found. 
Piles  intended  to  sustain  a  wall,  pier  or  post  shall  be 
spaced  not  more  than  thirty-six  or  less  than  twenty 
inches  on  centres,  and  they  shall  be  driven  to  a  solid 
bearing  if  practicable  to  do  so,  and  the  number  of  such 
piles  shall  be  sufficient  to  support  the  superstructure  pro- 
posed. No  pile  shall  be  used  of  less  dimensions  than 
five  inches  at  the  small  end  and  ten  inches  at  the  butt 
for  short  piles,  or  piles  twenty  feet  or  less  in  length,  and 
twelve  inches  at  the  butt  for  long  piles,  or  piles  more 
than  twenty  feet  in  length.  No  pile  shall  be  weighted 
with  a  load  exceeding  forty  thousand  pounds.  When 
a  pile  is  not  driven  to  refusal,  its  safe  sustaining  power 
shall  be  determined  by  the  following  formula:  Twice 
the  weight  of  the  hammer  in  tons  multiplied  by  the 
height  of  the  fall  in  feet  divided  by  least  penetration  of 
pile  under  the  last  blow  in  inches  plus  one.  The  Com- 


21 

missioner  of  Buildings  shall  be  notified  of  the  time  when 
such  test  piles  will  be  driven,  that  he  may  be  present  in 
person  or  by  representative.  The  tops  of  all  piles  shall 
be  cut  off  below  the  lowest  water  line.  When  required, 
concrete  shall  be  rammed  down  in  the  interspaces  be- 
tween the  heads  of  the  piles  to  a  depth  and  thickness  of 
not  less  than  twelve  inches  and  for  one  foot  in  width 
outside  of  the  piles.  Where  ranging  and  capping  tim- 
bers are  laid  on  piles  for  foundations,  they  shall  be  of 
hard  wood  not  less  than  six  inches  thick  and  prop- 
erly joined  together,  and  their  tops  laid  below  the  low- 
est water  line.  Where  metal  is  incorporated  in  or  forms 
part  of  a  foundation  it  shall  be  thoroughly  protected 
from  rust  by  paint,  asphaltum,  concrete,  or  by  such  ma- 
terials and  in  such  manner  as  may  be  approved  by  the 
Commissioner  of  Buildings.  When  footings  of  iron  or 
steel  for  columns  are  placed  below  the  water  level,  they 
shall  be  similarly  coated,  or  inclosed  in  concrete,  for 
preservation  against  rust.  When  foundations  are  car- 
ried down  through  earth  by  piers  of  stone,  brick  or  con- 
crete in  caissons,  the  loads  on  same  shall  be  not  more 
than  fifteen  tons  to  the  square  foot  when  carried  down 
to  rock;  ten  tons  to  the  square  foot  when  carried  down 
to  firm  gravel  or  hard  clay;  eight  tons  to  the  square  foot 
in  open  caissons  or  sheet  pile  trenches  when  carried 
down  to  rock.  Wood  piles  may  be  used  for  the  founda- 
tions under  frame  buildings  built  over  the  water  or  on 
salt  meadow  land,  in  which  case  the  piles  may  project 
above  the  water  a  sufficient  height  to  raise  the  building 
above  high  tide,  and  the  building  may  be  placed  directly 
thereon  without  other  foundation. 

Sec.  26.— Foundation  Walls.  Foundation  walls  shall 
be  construed  to  include  all  walls  and  piers  built  below 
the  curb  level,  or  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  the  curb,  to 


22 

serve  as  supports  for  walls,  piers,  columns,  girders, 
posts  or  beams.  Foundation  walls  shall  be  built  of 
stone,  brick,  Portland  cement  concrete,  iron  or  steel.  If 
built  of  rubble  stone,  or  Portland  cement  concrete, 
they  shall  be  at  least  eight  inches  thicker  than  the  wall 
next  above  them  to  a  depth  of  twelve  feet  below  the 
curb  level;  and  for  every  additional  ten  feet,  or  part 
thereof,  deeper,  they  shall  be  increased  four  inches  in 
thickness.  If  built  of  brick,  they  shall  be  at  least  four 
inches  thicker  than  the  wall  next  above  them  to  a  depth 
of  twelve  feet  below  the  curb  level;  and  for  every  ad- 
ditional ten  feet,  or  part  thereof,  deeper,  they  shall  be 
increased  four  inches  in  thickness. 

The  footing  or  base  course  shall  be  of  stone  or  con- 
crete, or  both,  or  of  concrete  and  stepped-up  brick- 
work, of  sufficient  thickness  and  area  to  safely  bear 
the  weight  to  be  imposed  thereon.  If  the  footing  or 
base  course  be  of  concrete,  the  concrete  shall  not  be 
less  than  twelve  inches  thick.  If  of  stone,  the  stones 
shall  not  be  less  than  two  by  three  feet,  and  at  least 
eight  inches  in  thickness  for  walls;  and  not  less  than  ten 
inches  in  thickness  if  under  piers,  columns  or  posts; 
the  footing  or  base  course,  whether  formed  of  con- 
crete or  stone,  shall  be  at  least  twelve  inches  wider 
than  the  bottom  width  of  walls,  and  at  least  twelve 
inches  wider  on  all  sides  than  the  bottom  width  of 
said  piers,  columns  or  posts.  If  the  superimposed 
load  is  such  as  to  cause  undue  transverse  strain  on 
a  footing  projecting  twelve  inches,  the  thickness  of 
such  footing  is  to  be  increased  so  as  to  carry  the  load 
with  safety.  For  small  structures  and  for  small  piers 
sustaining  light  loads,  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings 
having  jurisdiction  may,  in  his  discretion,  allow  a  re- 
-htctton  in  the  thickness  and  projection  for  footing  or 


23 

base  courses  herein  specified.  All  base  stones  shall 
be  well  bedded  and  laid  crosswise,  edge  to  edge. 

If  stepped-up  footing  of  brick  are  used  in  place  of 
stone,  above  the  concrete,  the  offsets,  if  laid  in  single 
courses,  shall  each  not  exceed  one  and  one-half  inches, 
or  if  laid  in  double  courses,  then  each  shall  not  exceed 
three  inches,  offsetting  the  first  course  of  brickwork, 
back  one-half  the  thickness  of  the  concrete  base,  so 
as  to  properly  distribute  the  load  to  be  imposed  thereon. 

If,  in  place  of  a  continuous  foundation  wall,  isolated 
piers  are  to  be  built  to  support  the  superstructure, 
where  the  nature  of  the  ground  and  the  character  of 
the  building  make  it  necessary,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction,  in- 
verted arches  resting  on  a  proper  bed  of  concrete,  both 
designed  to  transmit  with  safety  the  superimposed  loads, 
shall  be  turned  between  the  piers.  The  thrust  of  the 
outer  piers  shall  be  taken  up  by  suitable  wrought  iron 
or  steel  rods  and  plates. 

Grillage  beams  of  wrought  iron  or  steel  resting  on 
a  proper  concrete  bed  may  be  used.  Such  beams  must 
be  provided  with  separators  and  bolts  inclosed  and  filled 
solid  between  with  concrete,  and  of  such  sizes  and  so 
arranged  as  to  transmit  with  safety  the  superimposed 
loads.  >  .<|l 

All  stone  walls  twenty-four  inches  or  less  in  thick- 
ness shall  have  at  least  one  header  extending  through 
the  wall  in  every  three  feet  in  height  from  the  bottom 
of  the  wall,  and  in  every  three  feet  in  length,  and  if  over 
twenty-four  inches  in  thickness,  shall  have  one  header 
for  every  six  superficial  feet  on  both  sides  of  the  wall, 
laid  on  top  of  each  other  to  bond  together,  and  run- 
ning into  the  wall  at  least  two  feet. 

All  headers  shall  be  at  least  twelve  inches  in  width 


24 

and  eight  inches  in  thickness,  and  consist  of  good  flat 
stones. 

No  stone  shall  be  laid  in  such  walls  in  any  other 
position  than  on  its  natural  bed. 

No  stone  shall  be  used  that  does  not  bond  or  extend 
into  the  wall  at  least  six  inches.  Stones  shall  be 
firmly  bedded  in  cement  mortar  and  all  spaces  and 
joints  thoroughly  filled. 


PART  VI. 

WALLS,  PIERS  AND  PARTITIONS. 

Sec.  27.— Materials  of  Walls.  The  walls  of  all  build- 
ings, other  than  frame  or  wood  buildings,  shall  be  con- 
structed of  stone,  brick,  Portland  cement  concrete,  iron, 
steel  or  other  hard,  incombustible  material,  and  the 
several  component  parts  of  such  buildings  shall  be  as 
herein  provided.  All  buildings  shall  be  inclosed  on 
all  sides  with  independent  or  party  walls. 

Sec.  28.— Walls  and  Piers.  In  all  walls  of  the  thick- 
ness specified  in  this  code,  the  same  amount  of  materials 
may  be  used  in  piers  or  buttresses.  Bearing  walls  shall 
be  taken  to  mean  those  walls  on  which  the  beams, 
girders  or  trusses  rest.  If  any  horizontal  section 
through  any  part  of  any  bearing  wall  in  any  building 
shows  more  than  thirty  per  centum  area  of  flues  and 
openings,  the  said  wall  shall  be  increased  four  inches 
in  thickness  for  every  fifteen  per  centum,  or  fraction 
thereof,  of  flue  or  opening  area  in  excess  of  thirty  per 
centum. 

The  walls  and  piers  of  all  buildings  shall  be  properly 
and  solidly  bonded  together  with  close  joints  filled  with 
mortar.  They  shall  be  built  to  a  line  and  be  carried  up 


25 

plumb  and  straight.  The  walls  of  each  story  shall  be 
built  up  the  full  thickness  to  the  top  of  the  beams 
above.  All  brick  laid  in  non-freezing  weather  shall  be 
well  wet  before  being  laid.  Walls  or  piers,  or  parts  of 
walls  and  piers,  shall  not  be  built  in  freezing  weather, 
and  if  frozen,  shall  not  be  built  upon. 

All  piers  shall  be  built  of  stone  or  good,  hard,  well- 
burnt  brick  laid  in  cement  mortar.  Every  pier  built 
of  brick,  containing  less  than  nine  superficial  feet  at 
the  base,  supporting  any  beam,  girder,  arch  or  column 
on  which  a  wall  rests,  or  lintel  spanning  an  opening 
over  ten  feet  and  supporting  a  wall,  shall  at  intervals  of 
not  over  thirty  inches  apart  in  height  have  built  into  it 
a  bond  stone  not  less  than  four  inches  thick,  or  a  cast- 
iron  plate  of  sufficient  strength,  and  the  full  size  of  the 
piers.  For  piers  fronting  on  a  street  the  bond  stones 
may  conform  with  the  kind  of  stone  used  for  the  trim- 
mings of  the  front.  Cap  stones  of  cut  granite  or  blue 
stone,  proportioned  to  the  weight  to  be  carried,  but  not 
less  than  five  inches  in  thickness,  by  the  full  size  of  the 
pier,  or  cast-iron  plates  of  equal  strength  by  the  full  size 
of  the  pier,  shall  be  set  under  all  columns  or  girders, 
except  where  a  four-inch  bond  stone  is  placed  immedi- 
ately below  said  cap  stone,  in  which  case  the  cap  stone 
may  be  reduced  in  horizontal  dimensions  at  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  juris- 
diction. Isolated  brick  piers  shall  not  exceed  in  height 
ten  times  their  least  dimensions.  Stone  posts  for  the 
support  of  posts  or  columns  above  shall  not  be  used  in 
the  interior  of  any  building.  Where  walls  or  piers  are 
built  of  coursed  stones,  with  dressed  level  beds  and 
vertical  joints,  the  Department  of  Buildings  shall  have 
the  right  to  allow  such  walls  or  piers  to  be  built  of  a 
less  thickness  than  specified  for  brickwork,  but  in  no 


26 

case  shall  said  walls  or  piers  be  less  than  three-quarters 
of  the  thickness  provided  for  brickwork. 

In  all  brick  walls  every  sixth  course  shall  be  a  head- 
ing course,  except  where  walls  are  faced  with  brick 
in  running  bond,  in  which  latter  case,  every  sixth 
course  shall  be  bonded  into  the  backing  by  cutting  the 
course  of  the  face  brick  and  putting  in  diagonal  head- 
ers behind  the  same,  or  by  splitting  the  face  brick  in 
half  and  backing  the  same  with  a  continuous  row  of 
headers.  Where  face  brick  is  used  of  a  different  thick- 
ness from  the  brick  used  for  backing,  the  courses  of  the 
exterior  and  interior  brickwork  shall  be  brought  to  a 
level  bed  at  intervals  of  not  more  than  ten  courses  in 
height  of  the  face  brick,  and  the  face  brick  shall  be 
properly  tied  to  the  backing  by  a  heading  course  of  the 
face  brick.  All  bearing  walls  faced  with  brick  laid  in 
running  bond  shall  be  four  inches  thicker  than  the 
walls  are  required  to  be  under  any  section  of  this  Code. 

Sec.  29. — Ashlar.  Stone  used  for  the  facing  of  any 
building,  and  known  as  ashlar,  shall  be  not  less  than 
four  inches  thick. 

Stone  ashlar  shall  be  anchored  to  the  backing  and 
the  backing  shall  be  of  such  thickness  as  to  make  the 
walls,  independent  of  the  ashlar,  conform  as  to  the 
thickness  with  the  requirements  of  sections  31  and  32 
of  this  Code,  unless  the  ashlar  be  at  least  eight  inches 
thick  and  bonded  into  the  backing,  and  then  it  may  be 
counted  as  part  of  the  thickness  of  the  wall. 

Iron  ashlar  plates  used  in  imitation  of  stone  ashlar 
on  the  face  of  a  wall  shall  be  backed  up  with  the  same 
thickness  of  brickwork  as  stone  ashlar. 

Sec.  30. — Mortar  for  Walls  and  Ashlar.  All  founda- 
tion walls,  isolated  piers,  parapet  walls  and  chimneys 
above  roofs  shall  be  laid  in  cement  mortar,  but  this  shall 


27 

not  prohibit  the  use  in  cold  weather  of  a  small  propor- 
tion of  lime  to  prevent  the  mortar  from  freezing.  All 
other  walls  built  of  brick  or  stone  shall  be  laid  in  lime, 
cement,  or  lime  and  cement  mortar  mixed. 

The  backing  up  of  all  stone  ashlar  shall  be  laid  up 
with  cement  mortar,  or  cement  and  lime  mortar  mixed, 
but  the  back  of  the  ashlar  may  be  parged  with  lime 
mortar  to  prevent  discoloration  of  the  stone. 

Sec.  31. — Walls  for  Dwelling-Houses.  The  expression 
"walls  for  dwelling-houses"  shall  be  taken  to  mean  and 
include  in  this  class  walls  for  the  following  buildings: 

Dwellings,  asylums,  apartment-houses,  convents,  club- 
houses, dormitories,  hospitals,  hotels,  lodging-houses, 
tenements,  parish  buildings,  schools,  laboratories, 
studios. 

The  walls  above  the  basement  of  dwelling-houses  not 
over  three  stories  and  basement  in  height,  nor  more 
than  forty  feet  in  height,  and  not  over  twenty  feet 
in  width,  and  not  over  fifty-five  feet  in  depth,  shall 
have  side  and  party  walls  not  less  than  eight  inches 
thick,  and  front  and  rear  walls  not  less  than  twelve 
inches  thick.  All  walls  of  dwellings  exceeding  twenty- 
feet  in  width  and  not  exceeding  forty  feet  in  height, 
shall  be  not  less  than  twelve  inches  thick.  All  walls 
of  dwellings  twenty-six  feet  or  less  in  width  between 
bearing  walls  which  are  hereafter  erected  or  which 
may  be  altered  to  be  used  for  dwellings  and  being  over 
forty  feet  in  height  and  not  over  fiftv  feet  in 
height,  shall  be  not  less  than  twelve  inches  thick 
above  the  foundation  wall.  No  wall  shall  be  built  hav- 
ing a  twelve-inch  thick  portion  measuring  vertically 
more  than  fifty  feet.  If  over  fifty  feet  in  height  and 
not  over  sixty  feet  in  height  the  wall  shall  be  not  less 
than  sixteen  inches  thick  in  the  story  next  above  the 


28 

foundation-walls  and  from  thence  not  less  than  twelve 
inches  to  the  top.  If  over  sixty  feet  in  height,  and  not 
over  seventy-five  feet  in  height,  the  walls  shall  be  not  less 
than  sixteen  inches  thick  above  the  foundation-walls 
to  the  height  of  twenty-five  feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier 
of  beams  to  that  height,  and  from  thence  not  less  than 
twelve  inches  thick  to  the  top.  If  ever  seventy-five  feet 
in  height,  and  not  over  one  hundred  feet  in  height,  the 
walls  shall  be  not  less  than  twenty  inches  thick  above 
the  foundation-walls  to  the  height  of  forty  feet,  or  to  the 
nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that  height,  thence  not  less 
than  sixteen  inches  thick  to  the  height  of  seventy-five 
feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that  height,  and 
thence  not  less  than  twelve  inches  thick  to  the  top.  If 
over  one  hundred  feet  in  height  and  not  over  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  in  height,  the  walls  shall 
be  not  less  than  twenty-four  inches  thick  above  the 
foundation-walls  to  the  height  of  forty  feet  or  to  the 
nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that  height,  thence  not  less  than 
twenty  inches  thick  to  the  height  of  seventy-five  feet, 
or  to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that  height,  thence 
not  less  than  sixteen  inches  thick  to  the  height  of  one 
hundred  and  ten  feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams 
to  that  height,  and  thence  not  less  than  twelve  inches 
thick  to  the  top.  If  over  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
feet  in  height  and  not  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
in  height,  the  walls  shall  be  not  less  than  twenty-eight 
inches  thick  above  the  foundation-walls  to  the  height 
of  thirty  feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that 
height;  thence  not  less  than  twenty-four  inches  thick 
to  the  height  of  sixty-five  feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier 
of  beams  to  that  height;  thence  not  less  than  twenty 
inches  thick  to  the  height  of  one  hundred  feet,  or  to 
the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that  height,  thence  not  less 


29 

than  sixteen  inches  thick  to  the  height  of  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to 
that  height,  and  thence  not  less  than  twelve  inches 
thick  to  the  top.  If  over  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  in  height,  each  additional  thirty  feet  in  height  or 
part  thereof,  next  above  the  foundation  walls,  shall  be 
increased  four  inches  in  thickness,  the  upper  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  of  wall  remaining  the  same  as  speci- 
fied for  a  wall  of  that  height. 

All  non-fireproof  dwelling-houses  erected  under  this 
section,  exceeding  twenty-six  feet  in  width,  shall  have 
brick  fore-and-aft  partition  walls.  All  non-bearing 
walls  of  buildings  hereinbefore  in  this  section  specified 
may  be  four  inches  less  in  thickness,  provided,  how- 
ever, that  none  are  less  than  twelve  inches  thick,  except 
as  in  this  Gode  specified.  Eight-inch  brick  partition 
walls  may  be  built  to  support  the  beams  in  such  build- 
ings in  which  the  distance  between  the  main  or  bearing 
walls  is  notNover  thirty-three  feet;  if  the  distance  be- 
tween the  main  or  bearing  walls  is  over  thirty-three  feet 
the  brick  partition  wall  shall  be  not  less  than  twelve 
inches  thick ;  provided,  that  no  clear  span  is  over  twenty- 
six  feet.  No  wall  shall  be  built  having  any  one  thick- 
ness measuring  vertically  more  than  fifty  feet.  This 
section  shall  not  be  construed  to  prevent  the  use  of 
iron  or  steel  girders,  or  iron  or  steel  girders  and 
columns,  or  piers  of  masonry,  for  the  support  of  the 
walls  and  ceilings  over  any  room  which  has  a  clear 
span  of  more  than  twenty-six  feet  between  walls,  in 
such  dwellings  as  are  not  constructed  fireproof,  nor 
to  prohibit  the  use  of  iron  or  steel  girders,  or  iron  or 
steel  girders  and  columns  in  place  of  brick  walls  in 
buildings  which  are  to  be  used  for  dwellings  when  con- 
structed fireproof.  If  the  clear  span  is  to  be  ove* 


30 

twenty-six  feet,  then  the  bearing  walls  shall  be  in- 
creased four  inches  in  thickness  for  every  twelve  and 
one-half  feet  or  part  thereof,  that  said  span  is  over 
twenty-six  feet,  or  shall  have  instead  of  the  increased 
thickness,  such  piers  or  buttresses  as,  in  the  judgment 
of  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction, 
may  be  necessary. 

Whenever  two  or  more  dwelling-houses  shall  be  con- 
structed not  over  twelve  feet  six  inches  in  width,  and 
not  over  fifty  feet  in  height,  the  alternating  centre  wall 
between  any  two  such  houses,  shall  be  of  brick  not  less 
than  eight  inches  thick  above  the  foundation  wall;  and 
the  ends  of  the  floor  beams  shall  be  so  separated  that 
four  inches  of  brickwork  will  be  between  the  beams 
where  they  rest  on  the  said  centre  wall. 

Sec.  32.— Walls  for  Warehouses.  The  expression 
"walls  for  warehouses"  shall  be  taken  to  mean  and  in- 
clude in  this  class  walls  for  the  following  buildings: 

Warehouses,  stores,  factories,  mills,  printing-houses, 
pumping  stations,  refrigerating-houses,  slaughter- 
houses, wheelwright  shops,  cooperage  shops,  breweries, 
light  and  power  houses,  sugar  refineries,  office  build- 
ings, stables,  markets,  railroad  buildings,  jails,  police 
stations,  court-houses,  observatories,  foundries,  ma- 
chine shops,  public  assembly  buildings,  armories, 
churches,  theatres,  libraries,  museums.  The  walls  of  all 
warehouses,  twenty-five  feet  or  less  in  width  between 
walls  or  bearings,  shall  be  not  less  than  twelve  inches 
thick  to  the  height  of  forty  feet  above  the  foundation 
walls.  If  over  forty  feet  in  height,  and  not  over  sixty 
feet  in  height,  the  walls  shall  be  not  less  than  sixteen 
inches  thick  above  the  foundation  walls  to  the  height 
of  forty  feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that 


31 

height,  and  thence  not  less  than  twelve  inches  thick 
to  the  top.  If  over  sixty  feet  in  height,  and  not  over 
seventy-five  feet  in  height,  the  walls  shall  be  not  less 
than  twenty  inches  thick  above  the  foundation  walls  to 
the  height  of  twenty-five  feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier  of 
beams  to  that  height,  and  thence  not  less  than  sixteen 
inches  thick  to  the  top.  If  over  seventy-five  feet  in 
height,  and  not  over  one  hundred  feet  in  height,  the 
walls  shall  be  not  less  than  twenty-four  inches  thick 
above  the  foundation  walls  to  the  height  of  forty  feet, 
or  to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that  height;  thence 
not  less  than  twenty  inches  thick  to  the  height  of 
seventy-five  feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that 
height,  and  thence  not  less  than  sixteen  inches  thick  to 
the  top.  If  over  one  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  not 
over  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  in  height,  the  walls 
shall  be  not  less  than  twenty-eight  inches  thick  above 
the  foundation  walls  to  the  height  of  forty  feet,  or  to 
the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that  height;  thence  not 
less  than  twenty-four  inches  thick  to  the  height  of 
seventy-five  feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that 
height;  thence  not  less  than  twenty  inches  thick  to  the 
height  of  one  hundred  and  ten  feet,  or  to  the  nearest 
tier  of  beams  to  that  height,  and  thence  not  less  than 
sixteen  inches  thick  to  the  top.  If  over  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  feet  in  height,  and  not  over  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  the  walls  shall  be  not  less  than  thirty-two 
inches  thick  above  the  foundation  walls  to  the  height 
of  thirty  feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that 
height;  thence  not  less  than  twenty-eight  inches  thick 
to  the  height  of  sixty-five  feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier 
of  beams  to  that  height;  thence  not  less  than  twenty- 
four  inches  thick  to  the  height  of  one  hundred  feet,  or 
to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that  height;  thence  not 


32 

less  than  twenty  inches  thick  to  the  height  of  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-five  feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams 
to  that  height;  and  thence  not  less  than  sixteen  inches 
thick  to  the  top.  If  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
in  height,  each  additional  twenty-five  feet  in  height,  or 
part  thereof  next  above  the  foundation  walls  shall  be 
increased  four  inches  in  thickness,  the  upper  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  of  wall  remaining  the  same  as  speci- 
fied for  a  wall  of  that  height. 

If  there  is  to  be  a  clear  span  of  over  twenty-five  feet 
between  the  bearing  walls,  such  walls  shall  be  four 
inches  more  in  thickness  than  in  this  section  specified, 
for  every  twelve  and  one-half  feet,  or  fraction  thereof, 
that  said  walls  are  more  than  twenty-five  feet  apart,  or 
shall  have  instead  of  the  increased  thickness  such  piers 
or  buttresses  as,  in  the  judgment  of  the  Commissioner 
of  Buildings,  may  be  necessary. 

The  walls  of  buildings  of  a  public  character  shall  be 
not  less  than  in  this  Code  specified  for  warehouses 
with  such  piers  or  such  buttresses,  or  supplemental 
columns  of  iron  or  steel,  as,  in  the  judgment  of  the 
Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction,  may  be 
necessary  to  make  a  safe  and  substantial  building. 

In  all  stores,  warehouses  and  factories  over  twenty- 
five  feet  in  width  between  walls,  there  shall  be  brick  par- 
tition walls,  or  girders  supported  on  iron,  steel,  or 
wood  columns,  or  piers  of  masonry. 

In  all  stores,  warehouses  or  factories,  in  case  iron, 
steel  or  wood  girders,  supported  by  iron,  steel  or 
wood  columns,  or  piers  of  masonry,  are  used  in  place  of 
brick  partition  walls,  the  building  may  be  seventy-five 
feet  wide  and  two  hundred  and  ten  feet  deep,  when 
extending  from  street  to  street,  or  when  otherwise  lo- 
cated may  cover  an  area  of  not  more  than  eight  thou- 


33 

sand  superficial  feet.  When  a  building  fronts  on  three 
streets  it  may  be  a  hundred  and  five  feet  wide  and 
two  hundred  and  ten  feet  deep,  or  if  a  corner  building 
fronting  on  two  streets  it  may  cover  an  area  of  not 
more  than  twelve  thousand  five  hundred  superficial  feet; 
but  in  no  case  wider  nor  deeper,  nor  to  cover  a  greater 
area,  except  in  the  case  of  fireproof  buildings.  An 
area  greater  than  herein  stated  may,  considering  loca- 
tion and  purpose,  be  allowed  by  the  Board  of  Build- 
ings when  the  proposed  building  does  not  exceed 
three  stories  in  height. 

Sec.  33. — Increased  Thicknesses  of  Walls  for  Build- 
ings more  than  one  hundred  and  five  feet  in  Depth. 
All  buildings,  not  excepting  dwellings,  that  are  over 
one  hundred  and  five  feet  in  depth,  without  a  cross- 
wall  or  proper  piers  or  buttresses,  shall  have  the  side 
or  bearing  walls  increased  in  thickness  four  inches  more 
than  is  specified  in  the  respective  sections  of  this  Code 
for  the  thickness  of  walls  for  every  one  hundred  and 
five  feet,  or  part  thereof,  that  the  said  buildings  are 
over  one  hundred  and  five  feet  in  depth. 

Sec.  34. — Reduced  Thickness  for  Interior  Walls.  In 
case  the  walls  of  any  building  are  less  than  twenty- 
five  feet  apart,  and  less  than  forty  feet  in  depth,  or  there 
are  cross  walls  which  intersect  the  walls,  not  more  than 
forty  feet  distant,  or  piers  or  buttresses  built  into  the 
walls,  the  interior  walls  may  be  reduced  in  thickness 
in  just  proportion  to  the  number  of  cross  walls,  piers 
or  buttresses,  and  their  nearness  to  each  other;  pro- 
vided, however,  that  this  clause  shall  not  apply  to  walls 
below  sixty  feet  in  height,  and  that  no  such  wall  shall 
be  less  than  twelve  inches  thick  at  the  top,  and  grad- 
ually increased  in  thickness  bv  set-offs  to  the  bottom. 


34 

*#<  ^  " 

The  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction  is, 
hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to  decide  (except 
where  herein  otherwise  provided  for)  how  much  the 
walls  herein  mentioned  may  be  permitted  to  be  re- 
duced in  thickness,  according  to  the  peculiar  circum- 
stances of  each  case,  without  endangering  the  strength 
and  safety  of  the  building. 

Sec.  35. — One-story  Brick  Buildings.  One-story 
structures  not  exceeding  a  height  of  fifteen  feet  may 
be  built  with  eight-inch  walls  when  the  bearing  walls 
are  not  more  than  nineteen  feet  apart,  and  the  length 
of  the  eight-inch  bearing  walls  does  not  exceed  fifty-five 
feet.  One-story  and  basement  extensions  may  be  built 
with  eight-inch  walls  when  not  over  twenty  feet  wide, 
twenty  feet  deep  and  twenty  feet  high  to  dwellings. 

Sec.  36. — Inclosure  Walls  for  Skeleton  Structures. 
Walls  of  brick  built  in  between  iron  or  steel  columns, 
and  supported  wholly  or  in  part  on  iron  or  steel  girders, 
shnll  be  not  less  than  twelve  inches  thick  for  seventy- 
five  feet  of  the  uppermost  height  thereof,  or  to  the  near- 
est tier  of  beams  to  that  measurement,  in  any  build- 
ing so  constructed,  and  every  lower  section  of  sixty 
feet,  or  to  the  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  such  vertical 
measurement,  or  part  thereof,  shall  have  a  thickness 
of  four  inches  more  than  is  required  for  the  section 
next  above  it  down  to  the  tier  of  beams  nearest  to  the 
curb  level;  and  thence  downward,  the  thickness  of  walls 
shall  increase  in  the  ratio  prescribed  in  section  26,  this 
Code. 

Sec.  37.— Cttrfaw  Walls.  Curtain  walls  built  in  be- 
tween piers  or  iron  or  steel  columns  and  not  supported 
on  steel  or  iron  girders,  shall  be  not  less  than  twelve 
inches  thick  for  sixty  feet  of  the  uppermost  height  thereof, 


35 

or  nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that  height,  and  increased 
four  inches  for  every  additional  section  of  sixty  feet  or 
nearest  tier  of  beams  to  that  height. 

Sec.  38.— Existing  Party  Walls.  Walls  heretofore 
built  for  or  used  as  party  walls,  whose  thickness  at  the 
time  of  their  erection  was  in  accordance  with  the  re- 
quirements of  the  then  existing  laws,  but  which  are  not 
in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  this  Code, 
may  be  used,  if  in  good  condition,  for  the  ordinary 
uses  of  party  walls,  provided  the  height  of  the  same  be 
not  increased. 

Sec.  39. — Lining  Existing  Walls.  In  case  it  is  desired 
to  increase  the  height  of  existing  party  or  independent 
walls,  which  are  less  in  thickness  than  required  under 
this  Code,  the  same  shall  be  done  by  a  lining  of  brick- 
work to  form  a  combined  thickness  with  the  old  wall 
of  not  less  than  four  inches  more  than  the  thickness 
required  fo.r  a  new  wall  corresponding  with  the  total 
height  of  the  wall  when  so  increased  in  height.  The 
said  linings  shall  be  supported  on  proper  foundations 
and  carried  up  to  such  height  as  the  Commissioner 
of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction  may  require.  No 
lining  shall  be  less  than  eight  inches  in  thickness,  and 
all  lining  shall  be  laid  up  in  cement  mortar  and  thor- 
oughly anchored  to  the  old  brick  walls  with  suitable 
wrought-iron  anchors,  placed  two  feet  apart  and  prop- 
erly fastened  or  driven  into  the  old  walls  in  rows  alter- 
nating vertically  and  horizontally  with  each  other,  the 
old  walls  being  first  cleaned  of  plaster  or  other  coatings 
where  any  lining  is  to  be  built  against  the  same.  No 
rubble  wall  shall  be  lined  except  after  inspection  and 
approval  by  the  Department. 


36 

Sec.  40.— Walls  of  Unfinished  Buildings.  Any  build- 
ing, the  erection  of  which  was  commenced  in  accord- 
ance with  specifications  and  plans  submitted  to  and  ap- 
proved by  the  Department  of  Buildings  prior  to  the 
passage  of  this  Code,  if  properly  constructed,  and  in 
safe  condition,  may  be  completed,  or  built  upon  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  requirements  of  law,  as  to  thickness 
of  walls,  in  force  at  the  time  when  such  specification 
and  plans  were  approved. 

Sec.  41. — Walls  Tied,  Anchored  and  Braced.  In  no 
case  shall  any  wall  or  walls  of  any  building  be  carried 
up  more  than  two  stories  in  advance  of  any  other  wall, 
except  by  permission  of  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings 
having  jurisdiction,  but  this  prohibition  shall  not  in- 
clude the  inclosure  walls  for  skeleton  buildings.  The 
front,  rear,  side  and  party  walls  shall  be  properly 
bonded  together,  or  anchored  to  each  other  every  six 
feet  in  their  height  by  wrought-iron  tie  anchors,  not 
less  than  one  and  a  half  inches  by  three-eighths  of  an 
inch  in  size,  and  not  less  than  twenty-four  inches  in 
length.  The  side  anchors  shall  be  built  into  the  side 
or  party  walls  not  less  than  sixteen  inches,  and  into 
the  front  and  rear  walls,  so  as  to  secure  the  front  and 
rear  walls  to  the  side,  or  party  walls,  when  not  built 
and  bonded  together.  All  exterior  piers  shall  be  an- 
chored to  the  beams  or  girders  on  the  level  of  each  tier. 
The  walls  and  beams  of  every  building,  during  the 
erection  or  alteration  thereof,  shall  be  strongly  braced 
from  the  beams  of  each  story,  and  when  required,  shall 
also  be  braced  from  the  outside,  until  the  building  is 
inclosed.  The  roof  tier  of  wood  beams  shall  be  safely 
anchored,  with  plank  or  joist,  to  the  beams  of  the  story 
below  until  the  building  is  inclosed. 


37 

Sec.  42. — Arches  and  Lintels.  Openings  for  doors 
and  windows  in  all  buildings,  shall  have  good  and  suffi- 
cient arches  of  stone,  brick,  or  terra-cotta,  well  built 
and  keyed  with  good  and  sufficient  abutments,  or  lintels 
of  stone  iron  or  steel  of  sufficient  strength,  which  shall 
have  a  bearing  at  each  end  of  not  less  than  five  inches 
on  the  wall.  On  the  inside  of  all  openings  in  which 
lintels  shall  be  less  than  the  thickness  of  the  wall  to 
be  supoorted,  there  shall  be  timber  lintels,  which  shall 
rest  at  each  end  not  more  than  three  inches  on  any 
wall,  which  shall  be  chamfered  at  each  end,  and  shall 
have  a  suitable  arch  turned  over  the  timber  lintel.  Or 
the  inside  lintel  may  be  of  cast  iron,  or  wrought  iron 
or  steel,  and  in  such  case  stone  blocks  or  cast  iron 
plates  shall  not  be  required  at  the  ends  where  the  lintel 
rests  on  the  walls,  provided  the  opening  is  not  more 
than  six  feet  in  width. 

All  masonry  arches  shall  be  capable  of  sustaining 
the  weight  and  pressure  which  they  are  designed  to 
carry,  and  the  stress  at  any  point  shall  not  exceed 
the  working  stress  for  the  material  used,  as  given  in 
section  139  of  this  Code.  Tie  rods  shall  be  used  where 
necessary  to  secure  stability. 

Sec.  43. — Parapet  Walls.  All  exterior  and  division 
or  party  walls  over  fifteen  feet  high,  excepting  where 
such  walls  are  to  be  finished  with  cornices,  gutters  or 
crown  mouldings,  shall  have  parapet  walls  not  less  than 
eight  inches  in  thickness  and  carried  two  feet  above 
the  roof,  but  for  warehouses,  factories,  stores  and  other 
buildings  used  for  commercial  or  manufacturing  pur- 
poses the  parapet  walls  shall  be  not  less  than  twelve 
inches  in  thickness  and  carried  three  feet  above  the 
roof,  and  all  such  walls  shall  be  coped  with  stone,  terra- 
cotta of  cast  iron. 


3* 

Sec.  44.— Hollow  Walls.  In  all  walls  that  are  built 
hollow  the  same  quantity  of  stone,  brick  or  concrete 
shall  be  used  in  their  construction  as  if  they  were  built 
solid,  as  in  this  Code  provided,  and  no  hollow  wall 
shall  be  built  unless  the  parts  of  same  are  connected 
by  proper  ties,  either  of  brick,  stone  or  iron,  placed  not 
over  twenty-four  inches  apart. 

Sec.  45.— Hollow  Bricks  on  Inside  of  Walls.  The 
inside  four  inches  of  all  walls  may  be  built  of  hard- 
burnt  hollow  brick,  properly  tied  and  bonded  into  the 
walls,  and  of  the  dimension  of  ordinary  bricks.  Where 
hollow  tile  or  porous  terra-cotta  blocks  are  used  as 
lining  or  furring  for  walls,  they  shall  not  be  included  in 
the  measurement  of  the  thickness  of  such  walls. 

Sec.  46. — Recesses  and  Chases  in  Walls.  Recesses 
for  stairways  or  elevators  may  be  left  in  the  founda- 
tion or  cellar  walls  of  all  buildings,  but  in  no  case 
shall  the  walls  be  of  less  thickness  than  the  walls  of  the 
fourth  story,  unless  reinforced  by  additional  piers  with 
iron  or  steel  girders,  or  iron  or  steel  columns  and 
girders,  securely  anchored  to  walls  on  each  side.  Re- 
cesses for  alcoves  and  similar  purposes  shall  have  not 
less  than  eight  inches  of  brickwork  at  the  back  of 
such  recesses,  and  such  recesses  shall  be  not  more  than 
eight  feet  in  width,  and  shall  be  arched  over  or  spanned 
with  iron  or  steel  lintels,  and  not  carried  up  higher 
than  eighteen  inches  below  the  bottom  of  the  beams 
of  the  floor  next  above.  No  chase  for  water  or  other 
pipes  shall  be  made  in  any  pier,  and  in  no  wall  more 
than  one-third  of  its  thickness.  The  chases  around 
said  pipe  or  pipes  shall  be  filled  up  with  solid  masonry 
for  the  space  of  one  foot  at  the  top  and  bottom  of  each 
story.  No  horizontal  recess  or  chase  in  any  wall  shall 


39 

be  allowed  exceeding  four  feet  in  length  without  per- 
mission of  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having 
jurisdiction.  The  aggregate  area  of  recesses  and  chases 
in  any  wall  shall  not  exceed  one-fourth  of  the  whole 
area  of  the  face  of  the  wall  on  any  story,  nor  shall  any 
such  recess  be  made  within  a  distance  of  six  feet  from 
any  other  recess  in  the  same  wall. 

Sec.  47. — Furred  Walls.  In  all  walls  furred  with 
wood  the  brickwork  between  the  ends  of  wood  beams 
shall  project  the  thickness  of  the  furring  beyond  the 
inner  face  of  the  wall  for  the  full  depth  of  the  beams. 

Sec.  48. — Light  and  Vent  Shafts.  In  every  building 
hereafter  erected  or  altered,  all  the  walls  or  partitions 
forming  interior  light  or  vent  shafts,  shall  be  built  of 
brick,  or  such  other  fireproof  materials  as  may  be  ap- 
proved by  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  juris- 
diction. The  walls  of  all  light  or  vent  shafts,  whether 
exterior  or  interior,  hereafter  erected,  shall  be  carried 
up  not  less  than  three  feet  above  the  level  of  the  roof, 
and  the  brick  walls  coped  as  other  parapet  walls.  Vent 
shafts  to  light  interior  bath-rooms  in  private  dwellings 
may  be  built  of  wood  filled  in  solidly  with  brick  or  hard- 
burnt  clay  blocks,  when  extending  through  not  more 
than  one  story  in  height,  and  carried  not  less  than  two 
feet  above  the  roof,  covered  with  a  ventilating  skylight 
of  metal  and  glass. 

Sec.  49. — Brick  and  Hollow  Tile  Partitions.  Eight- 
inch  brick  and  six-inch  and  four-inch  hollow  tile  par- 
titions, of  hard-burnt  clay,  or  porous  terra-cotta,  may  be 
built,  not  exceeding  in  their  vertical  portions  a  measure- 
ment of  fifty,  thirty-six  and  twenty-four  feet  respective- 
ly, and  in  their  horizontal  measurement  a  length  not 
exceeding  seventy-five  feet,  unless  strengthened  by 


40 

proper  crosswalls,  piers  or  buttresses,  or  built  in  iron 
or  steel  framework.  All  such  partitions  shall  be  carried 
on  proper  foundations,  or  on  iron  or  steel  girders,  or 
on  iron  or  steel  girders  and  columns  or  piers  of  masonry. 

Sec.  50. — Cellar  Partitions  in  Residence  Buildings. 
One  line  of  fore-and-aft  partitions  in  the  cellar  or  lowest 
story,  supporting  stud  partitions  above,  in  all  residence 
buildings  over  twenty  feet  between  bearing  walls  in 
the  cellar  or  lowest  story,  hereafter  erected,  shall  be 
constructed  of  brick,  not  less  than  eight  inches  thick, 
or  piers  of  brick  with  openings  arched  over  below  the 
under  side  of  the  first  tier  of  beams,  or  girders  of  iron 
or  steel  and  iron  columns,  or  piers  of  masonry  may  be 
used;  or  if  iron  or  steel  floor  beams  spanning  the  dis- 
tance between  bearing  walls  are  used  of  adequate 
strength  to  support  the  stud  partitions  above  in  addi- 
tion to  the  floor  load  to  be  sustained  by  the  said  iron 
or  steel  beams,  then  the  fore-and-aft  brick  partition,  or 
its  equivalent,  may  be  omitted. 

Stud  partitions  which  may  be  placed  in  the  cellar  or 
lowest  story  of  any  building,  shall  have  good  solid  stone 
or  brick  foundation  walls  under  the  same,  which  shall 
be  built  up  to  the  top  of  the  floor  beams  or  sleepers, 
and  the  sills  of  said  partitions  shall  be  of  locust  or 
other  suitable  hard  wood;  but  if  the  walls  are  built 
five  inches  higher  of  brick  than  the  top  of  the  floor 
beams  or  sleepers,  any  wooden  sill  may  be  used  on 
which  the  studs  shall  be  set. 

Sec.  51.— Main  Stud  Partitions.  In  residence  build- 
ings where  fore-and-aft  stud  partitions  rest  directly 
over  each  other,  they  shall  run  down  between  the  wood 
floor  beams  and  rest  on  the  top  plate  of  the  partition 
below,  and  shall  have  the  studding  filled  in  solid  be- 
tween the  uprights  to  the  depth  of  the  floor  beams, 
with  suitable  incombustible  materials. 


Sec.  52. — Timber  in  Walls  Prohibited.  No  timber 
shall  be  used  in  any  wall  of  any  building  where  stone, 
brick  or  iron  is  commonly  used,  except  inside  lintels, 
as  herein  provided,  and  brace  blocks  not  more  than 
eight  inches  in  length. 


PART  VII. 

APARTMENT-HOUSES,   TENEMENT-HOUSES   AND   DWELL- 
INGS OF  CERTAIN  HEIGHTS. 

Sec.  53.— Apartment-Houses,  Tenement-Houses  and 
Dwellings  of  Certain  Heights.  Every  non-fireproof 
building  hereafter  erected  or  altered  for  an  apartment- 
house  or  tenement-house,  five  stores  in  height,  or  hav- 
ing a  basement  and  four  stories  in  height  above  a 
cellar,  to  be  occupied  by  one  or  more  families  on  any 
floor  above  the  first  shall  have  the  first  floor  above 
the  cellar  or  lowest  story  constructed  fireproof  in  such 
manner  as  required  in  section  106  of  this  Code.  When 
any  such  non-fireproof  building,  exceeding  five  stories 
in  height  or  having  a  basement  and  five  stories  in 
height  above  a  cellar,  has  a  store  on  the  first  story,  the 
entire  second  story  floor  shall  also  be  constructed  fireproof. 
No  non-fireproof  apartment-house,  tenement-house  or 
dwelling-house  shall  be  hereafter  erected  more  than  six 
stories  in  height,  nor  exceed  a  height  of  seventy-five  feet, 
unless ,  such  building  has  both  the  first  and  second 
story  floors  constructed  fireproof,  and  then  the  height 
shall  be  not  more  than  seven  stories  nor  exceed  eighty- 
five  feet  in  height.  Firepro6f  apartment-houses  or 
tenement-houses,  if  constructed  entirely  in  accordance 
with  the  requirements  of  section  105  of  this  Code,  for 
fireproof  construction  may  be  erected  tr>  a  height  not 


42 

to  exceed  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  but  not  more  than 
twelve  stories  in  height  upon  all  streets  and  avenues 
exceeding  seventy-nine  feet  in  width,  and  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  feet,  but  not  more  than  ten  stories  in 
height  upon  all  streets  and  avenues  not  exceeding  sev- 
enty-nine feet  in  width,  but  any  such  building  when  ex- 
ceeding one  hundred  feet  in  height  shall  be  not  less 
than  forty  feet  in  width.  If  any  such  building  shall  have 
a  frontage  exceeding  forty  feet  and  exceeds  eighty-five 
feet  in  height,  it  shall  have  at  least  two  separate  fire- 
proof stairways  accessible  from  each  apartment,  lead- 
ing from  the  ground  floor  to  the  roof,  one  of  which 
shall  be  remote  from  elevator  shafts. 

The  stairs  from  the  cellar  or  lowest  story  to  the  fire- 
proof floor  next  above,  when  placed  within  any  such 
building,  shall  be  located,  when  practicable,  to  the  rear 
of  the  staircase  leading  from  the  first  story  to  the  upper 
stories  and  be  inclosed  with  brick  or  stone  walls,  and 
such  stairway  shall  be  provided  with  self-closing  fire- 
proof doors  at  the  top  and  bottom  of  said  flight  of  stairs. 
When  such  stairway  is  placed  underneath  the  first  story 
staircase,  it  shall  be  constructed  fireproof  and  be  roofed 
over  with  fireproof  material,  and  be  also  inclosed  with 
brick  walls,  with  self-closing  fireproof  doors  at  the  top 
and  bottom  of  said  flight  of  stairs. 

When  the  stairs  from  the  first  story  to  the  cellar  or 
lowest  story  are  located  in  an  open  side  court  the  door 
leading  thereto  from  the  first  story  may  be  placed  under- 
neath the  staircase  in  the  first  story,  and  the  strings  and 
railings  of  such  outside  stairs  shall  be  of  iron,  and  if  the 
stairs  be  inclosed  from  the  weather  incombustible  ma- 
terial only  shall  be  used  for  that  purpose.  No  closet 
shall  be  constructed  underneath  the  first  story  staircase, 
but  the  space  thereunder  shall  be  left  entirely  open  and 


43 

kept  free  from  incumbrance,  but  this  shall  not  prohibit 
the  inclosing  without  openings  the  under  portions  of 
the  staircase  from  the  foot  of  the  same  to  a  point  where 
the  height  from  the  floor  line  to  the  soffit  of  the  stair- 
case shall  not  exceed  five  feet. 

All  non-fireproof  apartment-houses  and  tenement- 
houses  exceeding  five  stories  in  height,  or  having  a  base- 
ment and  five  stories  in  height  above  a  cellar,  shall  be 
constructed  as  in  this  section  before  described,  and  shall 
also  have  the  halls  and  stairs  inclosed  with  twelve-inch 
brick  walls.  Eight-inch  brick  walls  not  exceeding  fifty 
feet  in  their  vertical  measurement,  may  inclose  said 
halls  and  stairs,  and  be  used  as  bearing  walls  where  the 
distance  between  the  outside  bearing  walls  does  not  ex- 
ceed thirty-three  feet,  and  the  area  between  the  said 
brick  inclosure  walls  does  not  exceed  one  hundred  and 
eighty  superficial  feet.  The  floors,  stairs  and  ceilings 
in  said  halls  and  stairways  shall  be  made  of  iron,  steel 
brick,  stone,  tile,  cement,  or  other  hard  incombustible 
materials,  excepting  that  the  flooring  and  sleepers 
underneath  the  same  may  be  of  wood  and  the  hand- 
rails of  the  stairs  may  be  of  hard  wood,  and  the  treads 
may  be  of  oak  not  less  than  one  and  five-eighths  of  an 
inch  in  thickness,  provided  that  where  such  wooden 
treads  are  used  the  under  side  of  the  stairs  shall  be  en- 
tirely lathed  with  iron  or  wire  lath,  and  plastered  there- 
on, or  covered  with  metal.  At  least  one  flight  of  such 
stairs  in  each  of  said  buildings  shall  extend  to  the  roof, 
and  be  inclosed  in  a  bulkhead  built  of  fireproof  mate- 
rials. The  said  halls  and  stairways  shall  have  a  con- 
necting fireproof  hallway  inclosed  with  suitable  walls 
of  brick  or  such  other  fireproof  materials  including 
the  ceiling  in  all  cases,  as  may  be  approved  by  the  Com- 
missioner of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction,  in  the  first 
story  and  extend  to  the  street. 


44 

PART  VIII. 
VAULTS,  AREAS  AND  CELLARS. 

Sec.  54. — Cellars  to  Be  Connected  with  Sewers.  Be- 
fore the  walls  of  buildings  are  carried  up  above  the 
foundation  walls  the  cellar  shall  be  connected  with  the 
street  sewers.  Should  there  be  no  sewer  in  the  street, 
or  if  the  cellars  are  below  water  level,  or  below  the 
sewer  level,  then  provision  shall  be  made  by  the  owner 
to  prevent  water  accumulating  in  the  cellars  to  the 
injury  of  the  foundations. 

Sec.  55. — Vaults  Under  Sidewalks.  In  buildings  where 
the  space  under  the  sidewalk  is  utilized,  a  sufficient 
stone  or  brick  wall,  or  brick  arches  between  iron  or  steel 
beams,  shall  be  built  to  retain  the  roadway  of  the  street, 
and  the  side,  end  or  party  walls  of  such  building  shall 
extend  under  the  sidewalk,  of  sufficient  thickness,  to 
such  wall.  The  roofs  of  all  vaults  shall  be  of  incom- 
bustible material.  Openings  in  the  roofs  of  vaults  for 
the  admission  of  coal  or  light,  or  for  manholes,  or 
for  any  other  purposes,  if  placed  outside  the  area  line, 
shall  be  covered  with  glass  set  in  iron  frames,  each  glass 
to  measure  not  more  than  sixteen  square  inches,  or  with 
iron  covers  having  a  rough  surface,  and  rabbeted  flush 
with  the  sidewalk.  When  any  such  cover  is  placed 
in  any  sidewalk,  it  shall  be  placed  as  near  as  practicable 
to  the  outside  line  of  the  curb.  All  vaults  shall  be 
thoroughly  ventilated. 

Sec.  56.— Areas.  All  areas  shall  be  properly  protected 
with  suitable  railings,  or  covered  over. 

When  areas  are  covered  over,  iron,  or  iron  and  glass 
combined,  stone  or  other  incombustible  materials  shall 
be  used,  and  supported  on  brick  or  stone  walls,  or  on 
iron  or  steel  beams. 


45 

Sec.  57  — Cellar  Floors.  The  floor  of  the  cellar  or 
lowest  story  in  every  dwelling-house,  apartment-house, 
tenement-house,  lodging-house,  hotel,  workshop,  fac- 
tory, school,  church,  hospital  and  asylum  hereafter 
erected,  shall  be  concreted  not  less  than  four  inches 
thick. 

Where  wood  floors  are  to  be  laid  in  such  cellars  or 
lowest  stories,  the  sleepers  shall  be  placed  on  top  of 
the  concrete. 

Sec.  58. — Cellar  Ceilings.  The  ceiling  over  every  cel- 
lar or  lowest  floor  in  every  residence  building  more  than 
four  stories  in  height,  hereafter  erected,  when  the  beams 
are  of  wood,  shall  be  lathed  with  iron  or  wire  lath  and 
plastered  thereon  with  two  coats  of  brown  mortar  of 
good  materials,  or  such  other  fireproof  covering  as  may 
be  approved  by  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having 
jurisdiction. 

PART  IX. 

WOOD  BEAMS,  GIRDERS  AND  COLUMNS. 
Sec.  59. — Wood  Beams.  All  wood  beams  and  other 
timbers  in  the  party  wall  of  every  building  built  of  stone, 
brick  or  iron,  shall  be  separated  from  the  beam  or  tim- 
ber entering  in  the  opposite  side  of  the  wall  by  at  least 
four  inches  of  solid  mason  work.  No  wood  floor  beams 
or  wood  roof  beams  used  in  any  building,  hereafter 
erected,  shall  be  of  a  less  thickness  than  three  inches. 
All  wood  trimmer  and  header  beams  shall  be  propor- 
tioned to  carry  with  safety  the  loads  they  are  intended 
to  sustain.  Every  wood  header  or  trimmer  more  than 
four  feet  long,  used  in  any  building,  shall  be  hung  in 
stirrup-irons  of  suitable  thickness  for  the  size  of  the 
timbers.  Every  wood  beam,  except  header  and  tail 


46 

beams,  shall  rest  at  one  end  four  inches  in  the  wall,  or 
upon  a  girder  as  authorized  by  this  Code.  The  ends  of 
all  wood  floor  and  roof  beams,  where  they  rest  on  brick 
walls,  shall  be  cut  to  a  bevel  of  three  inches  on  their 
depth.  In  no  case  shall  either  end  of  a  floor  or  roof 
beam  be  supported  on  stud  partitions,  except  in  frame 
buildings.  All  wood  floor  and  wood  roof  beams  shall 
be  properly  bridged  with  cross  bridging,  and  the  dis- 
tance between  bridging  or  between  bridging  and  walls 
shall  not  exceed  eight  feet.  All  wood  beams  shall  be 
trimmed  away  from  all  flues  and  chimneys,  whether  the 
same  be  a  smoke,  air  or  any  other  flue  or  chimney.  The 
trimmer  beam  shall  be  not  less  than  eight  inches  from 
the  inside  face  of  a  flue  and  four  inches  from  the  outside 
of  a  chimney  breast,  and  the  header  beam  not  less  than 
two  inches  from  the  outside  face  of  the  brick  or  stone 
work  of  i.he  same;  except  that  for  the  smoke  flues  of 
boilers  and  furnaces  where  the  brickwork  is  required  to 
be  eight  inches  in  thickness,  the  trimmer  beam  shall  be 
not  less  than  twelve  inches  from  the  inside  of  the  flue. 
The  header  beam,  carrying  the  tail  beams  of  a  floor,  and 
supporting  the  trimmer  arch  in  front  of  a  fireplace,  shall 
be  not  less  than  twenty  inches  from  the  chimney  breast. 
The  safe  carrying  capacity  of  wood  beams  for  uni- 
formly distributed  loads  shall  be  determined  by  multi- 
plying the  area  in  square  inches  by  its  depth  in  inches 
and  dividing  this  product  by  the  span  of  the  beam  in 
feet.  This  result  is  to  be  multiplied  by  seventy  for 
hemlock,  ninety  for  spruce  and  white  pine,  one  hundred 
and  twenty  for  oak,  and  by  one  hundred  and  forty  for 
yellow  pine.  The  safe  carrying  capacity  of  short  span 
timber  beams  shall  be  determined  by  their  resistance  to 
shear  in  accordance  with  the  unit  stresses  fixed  by  sec- 
tion 139  of  this  Code. 


47 


or  THF. 


Sec.  60.  —  Anchors  and  Straps  for  Wood  Beams  and 
Girders.  Each  tier  of  beams  shall  be  anchored  to  the 
side,  front,  rear  or  party  walls  at  intervals  of  not  more 
than  six  feet  apart,  with  good,  strong,  wrought  iron 
anchors  of  not  less  than  one  and  a  half  inches  by 
three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  size,  well-fastened  to  the  side 
of  the  beams  by  two  or  more  nails  made  of  wrought 
iron  at  least  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  Where 
the  beams  are  supported  by  girders,  the  girders  shall  be 
anchored  to  the  walls  and  fastened  to  each  other  by 
suitable  iron  straps.  The  ends  of  wood  beams  resting 
upon  girders  shall  be  butted  together  end  to  end  and 
strapped  by  wrought-iron  straps  of  the  same  size  and 
distance  apart,  and  in  the  same  beam  as  the  wall 
anchors,  and  shall  be  fastened  in  the  same  manner  as 
said  wall  anchors. 

Or  they  may  lap  each  other  at  least  twelve  inches 
and  be  well  spiked  or  bolted  together  where  lapped. 

Each  tier  of  beams  front  and  rear,  opposite  each 
pier,  shall  have  hard  wood  anchor  strips  dovetailed  into 
the  beams  diagonally,  which  strips  shall  cover  at  least 
four  beams  and  be  one  inch  thick  and  four  inches  wide, 
but  no  such  anchor  strips  shall  be  let  in  within  four  feet 
of  the  centre  line  of  the  beams;  or  wood  strips  may  be 
nailed  on  the  top  of  the  beams  and  kept  in  place  until  the 
floors  are  being  laid.  Every  pier  and  wall,  front  or 
rear,  shall  be  well  anchored  to  the  beams  of  each  story, 
with  the  same  size  anchors  as  are  required  for  side  walls, 
which  anchors  shall  hook  over  the  fourth  beam. 

Sec.  61.  —  Wood  Columns  and  Plates.  All  timber  col- 
umns shall  be  squared  at  the  ends  perpendicular  to 
their  axes. 

To  prevent  the  unit  stresses  from  exceeding  those 
fixed  in  this  Code,  timber  or  iron  cap  and  base  plates 
shall  be  provided. 


48 

Additional  iron  cheek  plates  shall  be  placed  between 
the  cap  and  base  plates  and  bolted  to  the  girders  when 
required  to  transmit  the  loads  with  safety. 

Sec.  62. — Timber  for  Trusses.  When  compression 
members  of  trusses  are  of  timber  they  shall  be  strained 
in  the  direction  of  the  fibre  only.  When  timber  is 
strained  in  tension,  it  shall  be  strained  in  the  direction 
of  the  fibre  only.  The  working  stress  in  timber  struts 
of  pin-connected  trusses  shall  not  exceed  seventy-five 
per  cent,  of  the  working  stresses  established  in  section 
139,  this  Code. 

Sec.  63.— Bolts  and  Washers  for  Timber  Work.  All 
bolts  used  in  connection  with  timber  and  wood  beam 
work  shall  be  provided  with  washers  of  such  proportions 
as  will  reduce  the  compression  on  the  wood  at  the  face 
of  the  washer  to  that  allowed  in  section  139,  this  Code, 
supposing  the  bolt  to  be  strained  to  its  limit. 


PART  X. 

CHIMNEYS,  FLUES,  FIREPLACES  AND  HEATING  PIPES. 
Sec.  64. — Trimmer  Arches.  All  fireplaces  and  chim- 
ney breasts  where  mantels  are  placed,  whether  intended 
for  ordinary  fireplace  uses  or  not,  shall  have  trimmer 
arches  to  support  hearths,  and  the  said  arches  shall  be 
at  least  twenty  inches  in  width,  measured  from  the  face 
of  the  chimney  breast,  and  they  shall  be  constructed  of 
brick,  stone  or  burnt  clay.  The  length  of  a  trimmer 
arch  shall  be  not  less  than  the  width  of  the  chimney 
breast.  Wood  centres  under  trimmer  arches  shall  be 
removed  before  plastering  the  ceiling  underneath.  If 
a  heater  is  placed  in  a  fireplace,  then  the  hearth  shall  be 
the  full  width  of  the  heater.  All  fireplaces  in  which 


49 

heaters  are  placed  shall  have  incombustible  mantels. 
No  wood  mantel  or  other  woodwork  shall  be  exposed 
back  of  a  summer  piece;  the  ironwork  of  the  summer 
piece  shall  be  placed  against  the  brick  or  stone  work  of 
the  fireplace.  No  fireplace  shall  be  closed  with  a  wood 
fireboard. 

Sec.  65. — Chimneys,  Flues  and  Fireplaces.  All  fire- 
places and  chimneys  in  stone  or  brick  walls  in  any 
building  hereafter  erected,  except  as  herein  otherwise 
provided,  and  any  chimney,  or  flue  hereafter  altered  or 
repaired,  without  reference  to  the  purpose  for  which 
they  may  be  used,  shall  have  the  joints  struck  smooth 
on  the  inside,  except  when  lined  on  the  inside  with  pipe. 
No  parging  mortar  shall  be  used  on  the  inside  of  any 
fireplace,  chimney  or  flue.  The  firebacks  of  all  fire- 
places hereafter  erected  shall  be  not  less  than  eight 
inches  in  thickness,  of  solid  masonry.  When  a  grate 
is  set  in  a  fireplace,  a  lining  of  fire  brick,  at  least  two 
inches  in  thickness,  shall  be  added  to  the  fireback, 
unless  soapstone,  tile  or  cast  iron  is  used,  and  filled 
solidly  behind  with  fireproof  material.  The  stone  or 
brickwork  of  the  smoke  flues  of  all  boilers,  furnaces, 
bakers'  ovens,  large  cooking  ranges,  large  laundry 
stoves,  and  all  flues  used  for  a  similar  purpose  shall  be 
at  least  eight  inches  in  thickness,  and  shall  be  capped 
with  terra-cotta,  stone  or  cast  iron. 

The  inside  four  inches  of  all  boiler  flues  shall  be  fire 
brick,  laid  in  fire  mortar,  for  a  distance  of  twenty-five 
feet  in  any  direction  from  the  source  of  heat.  All  smoke 
flues  of  smelting  furnaces  or  of  steam  boilers,  or  other 
apparatus  which  heat  the  flues  to  a  high  temperature, 
shall  be  built  with  double  walls  of  suitable  thickness 
for  the  temperature  with  an  air  space  between  the  walls, 
the  inside  four  inches  of  the  flues  to  be  of  fire  brict 


50 

All  smoke  flues  shall  extend  at  least  three  feet  above 
a  flat  roof,  and  at  least  two  feet  above  a  peak  roof. 

On  dwelling-houses  and  stables,  three  stories  or  less 
in  height,  not  less  than  six  of  the  top  courses  of  a  chim- 
ney may  be  laid  in  pure  cement  mortar  and  the  brick- 
work carefully  bonded  and  anchored  together  in  lieu  of 
coping. 

In  all  buildings  hereafter  erected  every  smoke  flue, 
except  the  flues  hereinbefore  mentioned,  shall  be  lined 
on  the  inside  with  cast  iron  or  well-burnt  clay,  or  terra- 
cotta pipe,  made  smooth  on  the  inside,  from  the  bottom 
of  the  flue,  or  from  the  throat  of  the  fireplace,  if  the  flue 
starts  from  the  latter,  and  carried  up  continuously  to  the 
extreme  height  of  the  flue.  The  ends  of  all  such  lining 
pipes  shall  be  made  to  fit  close  together,  and  the  pipe 
shall  be  built  in  as  the  flue  or  flues  are  carried  up.  Each 
smoke  pipe  shall  be  inclosed  on  all  sides  with  not  less 
than  four  inches  of  brickwork  properly  bonded  to- 
gether. 

All  flues  in  every  building  shall  be  properly  cleaned 
and  all  rubbish  removed,  and  the  flues  left  smooth  on 
the  inside  upon  the  completion  of  the  building. 

Sec.  66. — Chimney  Supports.  No  chimney  shall  be 
started  or  built  upon  any  floor  or  beam  of  wood. 

In  no  case  shall  a  chimney  be  corbeled  out  more  than 
eight  inches  from  the  wall,  and  in  all  such  cases  the 
corbeling  shall  consist  of  at  least  five  courses  of  brick, 
but  no  corbeling  more  than  four  inches  shall  be  allowed 
in  eight-inch  brick  walls.  Where  chimneys  are  sup- 
ported by  piers,  the  piers  shall  start  from  the  founda- 
tion on  the  same  line  with  the  chimney  breast,  and  shall 
be  not  less  than  twelve  inches  on  the  face,  properly 
bonded  into  the  walls.  When  a  chimney  is  to  be 
cut  off  below,  in  whole  or  in  part,  it  shall  be  wholly 


51 

supported  by  stone,  brick,  iron  or  steel.  All  chimneys 
which  shall  be  dangerous  in  any  manner  whatever, 
shall  be  repaired  and  made  safe,  or  taken  down. 

Sec.  67. — Chimneys  of  Cupolas.  Iron  cupola  chim- 
neys of  foundries  shall  extend  at  least  ten  feet  above  the 
highest  point  of  any  roof  within  a  radius  of  fifty  feet 
of  such  cupola,  and  be  covered  on  top  with  a  heavy 
wire  netting.  No  woodwork  shall  be  placed  within  two 
feet  of  the  cupola. 

Sec.  6S.—Hot  Air  Flues,  Pipes  and  Vent  Ducts.  All 
stone  or  brick  hot  air  flues  and  shafts  shall  be  lined 
with  tin,  galvanized  iron  or  burnt-clay  pipes.  No  wood 
casing,  furring  or  lath  shall  be  placed  against  or  cover 
any  smoke  flue  or  metal  pipe  used  to  convey  hot  air 
or  steam.  No  smoke  pipe  shall  pass  through  any  wood 
floor.  No  stovepipe  shall  be  placed  nearer  than  nine  inches 
to  any  lath  and  plaster  or  board  partition,  ceiling  or 
any  woodwork.  Smoke  pipes  of  laundry  stoves,  large 
cooking  ranges  and  of  furnaces  shall  be  not  less  than 
fifteen  inches  from  any  wood  work,  unless  they  are 
properly  guarded  by  metal  shields;  if  so  guarded,  stove- 
pipes shall  be  not  less  than  six  inches  distant,  smoke 
pipes  of  laundry  stoves,  large  cooking  ranges  and  of 
furnaces  shall  be  not  less  than  nine  inches  distant  from 
any  wood  work.  Where  smoke  pipes  pass  through  a 
lath  and  plaster  partition  they  shall  be  guarded  by  gal- 
vanized iron  ventilated  thimbles  at  least  twelve  inches 
larger  in  diameter  than  the  pipes,  or  by  galvanized  iron 
thimbles  built  in  at  least  eight  inches  of  brickwork.  No 
smoke  pipe  shall  pass  through  the  roof  of  any  building 
unless  a  special  permit  be  first  obtained  from  the  Build- 
ing Department  for  the  same.  If  a  permit  is  so  granted, 
then  the  roof  through  which  the  smoke  pipe  passes  shall 
be  protected  in  the  following  manner:  A  galvanized 


52 

iron  ventilated  thimble  of  the  following  dimensions  shall 
be  placed;  in  case  of  a  stovepipe,  the  diameter  of  the 
outside  guard  shall  be  not  less  than  twelve  inches  and 
the  diameter  of  the  inner  one,  eight  inches,  and  for  all 
furnaces,  or  where  similar  large  hot  fires  are  used,  the 
diameter  of  the  outside  guard  shall  be  not  less  than 
eighteen  inches  and  the  diameter  of  the  inner  one, 
twelve  inches.  The  smoke  pipe  thimbles  shall  extend 
from  the  under  side  of  the  ceiling  or  roof  beams  to  at 
least  nine  inches  above  the  roof,  and  they  shall  have 
openings  for  ventilation  at  the  lower  end  where  the 
smoke  pipes  enter,  also  at  the  top  of  the  guards  above 
the  roof.  Where  a  smoke  pipe  of  a  boiler  passes 
through  a  roof,  the  same  shall  be  guarded  by  a  ven- 
tilated thimble,  same  as  before  specified,  thirty-six 
inches  larger  than  the  diameter  of  the  smoke  pipe  of 
the  boiler.  Tin  or  other  metal  pipes  in  brick  or  stone 
walls,  used  or  intended  to  be  used  to  convey  heated 
air,  shall  be  covered  with  brick  or  stone  at  least  four 
inches  in  thickness.  Woodwork  near  hot-air  pipes  shall 
be  guarded  in  the  following  manner:  A  hot-air  pipe 
shall  be  placed  inside  another  pipe,  one  inch  larger  in 
diameter,  or  a  metal  shield  shall  be  placed  not  less  than 
one-half  inch  from  the  hot-air  pipe;  the  outside  pipe 
or  the  metal  shield  shall  remain  one  and  a  half  inches 
away  from  the  woodwork  and  the  latter  must  be  tin 
lined,  or  in  lieu  of  the  above  protection,  four  inches  of 
brickwork  may  be  placed  between  the  hot-air  pipe  and 
the  woodwork.  This  shall  not  prevent  the  placing  of 
metal  lath  and  plaster  directly  on  the  face  of  hot-air 
pipes  or  the  placing  of  woodwork  on  such  metal  lath  or 
plaster,  provided  1he  distance  is  not  less  than  seven- 
eighths  of  an  inch.  No  vertical  hot-air  pipe  shall  be 
placed  in  a  stud  partition,  or  in  a  wood  inclosure,  unless 


53 

it  be  at  least  eight  feet  distant  in  a  horizontal  direction 
from  the  furnace.  Hot-air  pipes  in  closets  shall  be 
double,  with  a  space  of  one  inch  between  them.  Hori- 
zontal hot-air  pipes  shall  be  placed  six  inches  below 
the  floor  beams  or  ceiling;  if  the  floor  beams  or  ceiling 
are  plastered  and  protected  by  a  metal  shield,  then  the 
distance  shall  be  not  less  than  three  inches. 

Vent  flues  or  ducts  for  the  removal  of  foul  or  vitiated 
air  in  which  the  temperature  of  the  air  cannot  exceed 
that  of  the  rooms,  may  be  constructed  of  iron,  or  other 
incombustible  material,  and  shall  not  be  placed  nearer 
than  one  inch  to  any  woodwork,  and  no  such  pipe  shall 
be  used  for  any  other  purpose. 

In  the  support  or  construction  of  such  ducts,  if  placed 
in  a  public  school  room,  no  wood  furring  or  other  in- 
flammable material  shall  be  nearer  than  two  inches  to 
said  flues  or  ducts,  and  shall  be  covered  on  all  sides 
other  than  those  resting  against  brick,  terra-cotta,  or 
other  incombustible  material,  with  metal  lath  plastered 
with  at  least  two  heavy  coats  of  mortar,  and  having  at 
least  one-half  inch  air  space  between  the  flues  or  ducts 
and  the  lath  and  plaster. 

Sec.  69. — Steam  and  Hot  Water  Heating  Pipes. 
Steam  or  hot  water  heating  pipes  shall  not  be  placed 
within  two  inches  of  any  timber  or  woodwork,  unless 
the  timber  or  woodwork  is  protected  by  a  metal  shield; 
then  the  distance  shall  be  not  less  than  one  inch.  All 
steam  or  hot  water  heating  pipes  passing  through  floors 
and  ceilings  or  lath  and  plastered  partitions  shall  be 
protected  by  a  metal  tube  one  inch  larger  in  diameter 
than  the  pipe,  having  a  metal  cap  at  the  floor,  and 
where  they  are  run  in  a  horizontal  direction  between  a 
floor  and  ceiling,  a  metal  shield  shall  be  placed  on  the 
under  side  of  the  floor  over  them,  and  on  the  sides  of 
wood  beams  running  parallel  with  said  pipe. 


54 

All  wood  boxes  or  casings  inclosing  steam  or  hot 
water  heating  pipes  and  all  wood  covers  to  recesses  in 
walls  in  which  steam  or  hot  water  heating  pipes  are 
placed,  shall  be  lined  with  metal. 

All  pipes  or  ducts  used  to  convey  air  warmed  by 
steam  or  hot  water  shall  be  of  metal  or  other  fireproof 
material.  All  steam  and  hot  water  pipe  coverings  shall 
consist  of  fireproof  materials  only. 


PART  XI. 

GENERAL  CONSTRUCTION. 

Sec.  70. — Ducts  for  Pipes.  All  ducts  for  pipes,  wires, 
and  other  similar  purposes  shall  be  inclosed  on  all 
sides  with  fireproof  material,  and  the  opening  through 
each  floor  shall  be  properly  fire-stopped. 

Sec.  71. — Studdcd-off  Spaces.  Where  walls  are  stud- 
ded-off,  the  space  between  the  inside  face  of  the  wall 
and  the  studding  shall  be  fire-stopped  with  fireproof 
material  placed  on  the  under  side  of  the  wood  beams 
above,  for  a  depth  of  not  less  than  four  inches,  and 
be  securely  supported;  or  the  beams  directly  over  the 
studded-off  space  shall  be  deafened  with  not  less  than 
four  inches  of  fireproof  material,  which  may  be  laid 
on  boards  cut  in  between  the  beams. 

Sec.  72. — Wainscoting.  When  wainscoting  is  used, 
in  any  building  hereafter  erected,  the  surface  of  the  wall 
or  partition  behind  such  wainscoting  shall  be  plastered 
flush  with  the  grounds  and  down  to  the  floor  line. 

Sec.  73. — Bay,  Oriel  and  Show  Windows.  Bay  win- 
dows, oriel  windows  and  show  windows  on  the  street 
front  or  side  of  any  building  may  project  not  more  than 
one  foot  beyond  the  building  line  and  shall  be  con- 


55 

structed  of  such  materials  and  in  such  manner  as  will 
meet  with  the  approval  of  the  Department  of  Buildings. 
Any  such  window  that  does  not  extend  more  than 
three  feet  above  the  second-story  floor  of  any  dwelling- 
house  may  be  built  of  wood  covered  with  metal. 


PART  XII. 
STAIRS   AND  ENTRANCE. 

Sec.  74. — Entrance  to  Basement.  Every  dwelling- 
house  arranged  for  or  occupied  by  two  or  more  fami- 
lies above  the  first  story,  hereafter  erected,  shall  be 
provided  with  an  entrance  to  the  basement  thereof  from 
the  outside  of  such  building. 

Sec.  75. — Stairs,  Number  Regulated  by  Area  of  Build- 
ing. In  any  building  hereafter  erected  to  be  used  as  a 
store,  factory,  hotel  or  lodging-house,  covering  a  lot 
area  exceeding  two  thousand  five  hundred  feet  and 
not  exceeding  five  thousand  feet,  there  shall  be  provided 
at  least  two  continuous  lines  of  stairs  remote  from  each 
other;  and  every  such  building  shall  have  at  least  one 
continuous  line  of  stairs  for  each  five  thousand  fee* 
of  lot  area  covered,  or  part  thereof,  in  excess  of  that 
required  for  five  thousand  feet  of  area.  When  any  such 
building  covers  an  area  of  lot  greater  than  fifteen  thou- 
sand feet  the  number  of  stairs  shall  be  increased  pro- 
portionately, or  as  will  meet  with  the  approval  of  the 
Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction. 

Sec.  76. — Engineers'  Stationary  Ladders.  Every 
building  in  which  boilers  or  machinery  are  placed  in  the 
cellar  or  lowest  story,  shall  have  stationary  iron  ladders 
or  stairs  from  such  story  leading  direct  to  a  manhole 
above  on  the  sidewalk,  or  other  outside  exit. 


56 

Sec.  77.—- Slate  and  Stone  Treads  of  Stairs  to  Be 
Supported.  In  all  buildings  hereafter  erected  more  than 
seven  stories  in  height  where  the  treads  and  landings 
of  iron  stairs  are  of  slate,  marble  or  other  stone,  they 
shall  each  be  supported  directly  underneath,  for  their 
entire  length  and  width,  by  an  iron  plate  made  solid  or 
having  openings  not  exceeding  four  inches  square  in 
same,  of  adequate  strength  and  securely  fastened  to 
the  strings.  In  case  such  supporting  plates  be  made 
solid  the  treads  may  be  of  oak,  not  less  than  one  and 
five-eighths  inches  thick. 


PART  XIII. 
SKYLIGHTS  AND  FLOOR-LIGHTS. 

Sec.  78.— Metal  Skylights.  All  skylights  having  a 
superficial  area  of  more  than  nine  square  feet,  placed  in 
any  building,  shall  have  the  sashes  and  frames  thereof 
constructed  of  iron  and  glass.  Every  fireproof  roof 
hereafter  placed  on  any  building,  shall  have,  besides  the 
usual  scuttle  or  bulkhead,  a  skylight  or  skylights  of  a 
superficial  area  equal  to  not  less  than  one-fiftieth  the 
superficial  area  of  such  fireproof  roof.  Skylights  here- 
after placed  in  public  buildings,  over  any  passageway 
or  room  of  public  resort,  shall  have  immediately  un- 
derneath the  glass  thereof  a  wire  netting,  unless  the 
glass  contains  a  wire  netting  within  itself. 

Sec.  79.— Floor-Lights.  Floor-lights,  used  for  trans- 
mission of  light  to  floors  below,  shall  be  constructed  of 
metal  frames  and  bars  or  plates,  and  if  any  glass  in 
same  measures  more  than  sixteen  square  inches,  the 
glass  shall  be  provided  with  a  mesh  of  wire  either  in 
the  glass  or  under  the  same,  and  the  floor-lights  shall 
be  of  the  same  proportional  strength  as  the  floors  in 
which  they  are  placed. 


57 


PART  XIV. 

INCLOSURE  AND  SHED  COVERINGS  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF 
PEDESTRIANS. 

Sec.  80. — Inclosure  and  Shed  Coverings  for  the  Pro- 
tection of  Pedestrians.  Whenever  buildings  shall  be 
erected  cr  increased  to  over  sixty-five  feet  in  height, 
upon  or  along  any  street,  the  owner,  builder  or  con- 
tractor constructing  or  repairing  such  buildings,  shall 
have  erected  and  maintained  during  such  construction 
or  repair,  a  shed  over  the  sidewalk  in  front  of  said 
premises,  extending  from  building  line  to  curb,  the 
same  to  be  properly,  strongly  and  tightly  constructed, 
so  as  to  protect  pedestrians  and  others  using  such 
streets.  Whenever  outside  scaffolds  are  required  to 
carry  on  the  construction  of  buildings  over  eighty- 
five  feet  in  height,  whether  the  same  be  constructed  by 
poles  or  thrust-out  scaffold,  there  shall  be  erected  on 
its  outer  edge  and  ends  an  inclosure  of  wire  netting  of 
not  over  two-inch  mesh,  or  of  boards  not  less  than 
three-fourths  of  an  inch  thick,  placed  not  over  one  and 
one-half  inches  apart,  well  secured  to  uprights  not  less 
than  two  inches  by  four  inches,  fastened  to  planks  or 
timbers,  and  resting  on  put-logs  or  thrust-outs.  The 
said  inclosure  shall  be  carried  up  at  least  five  feet  in 
advance  above  the  level  on  which  the  workmen  employed 
on  said  front  are  working.  The  said  thrust-outs  shall 
be  not  less  than  three  by  ten  of  spruce  or  yellow  pine, 
and  to  be  doubled  or  tripled,  as  may  be  required  for  the 
load  to  be  carried,  and  to  be  thoroughly  braced  and 
secured;  or  said  timbers  can  be  in  one  stick  if  pro- 
portioned to  the  load.  The  flooring  on  thrust-outs  and 
put-logs  shall  be  tightly  constructed  with  plank.  This 
said  floor  and  inclosure  shall  not  be  removed  until  a 


like  floor  and  inclosure  is  already  prepared  and  in  po- 
sition on  the  story  above.  In  all  buildings  over  eighty- 
five  feet  in  height,  during  construction  or  alteration  the 
windows  on  each  floor  above  the  second  shall  be  prop- 
erly inclosed  as  soon  as  the  story  is  built.  If  the  walls 
of  such  buildings  are  carried  up  two  stories  or  more 
above  the  roofs  of  adjoining  buildings,  proper  means 
shall  be  provided  and  used  for  the  protection  of  sky- 
lights and  roofs  of  such  adjoining  buildings.  The  pro- 
tection over  skylights  shall  be  of  stout  wire  netting  not 
over  three-fourths-inch  mesh  on  stout  timbers  and 
properly  secured.  All  such  sheds  and  inclosures  are 
to  be  subject  to  the  inspection  of  the  Department  of 
Buildings.  Should  said  adjoining  owner,  tenant  or  les- 
see refuse  to  grant  permission  to  have  said  roofs  and 
skylights  so  protected,  such  refusal  by  said  owner, 
tenant  or  lessee  shall  relieve  the  owner  of  the  building 
in  course  of  construction  from  any  responsibility  for 
damage  done  to  persons  or  property  on  or  within  the 
premises  affected.  Should  such  inclosure  or  protection 
not  be  so  erected,  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  hav- 
ing jurisdiction,  shall  cause  a  notice  to  be  served  per- 
sonally upon  the  owner,  or  his  authorized  agent,  con- 
structing or  repairing  such  buildings,  or  the  owner, 
tenant  or  lessee  of  adjoining  premises,  requiring  such 
inclosure  or  protection,  as  provided  in  this  section, 
specifying  the  manner  in  which  same  shall  be  erected; 
and  if  such  inclosures  or  protections  are  not  erected, 
strengthened  or  modified  as  provided  in  such  notice 
within  three  days  after  the  service  thereof,  the  said  Com- 
missioner of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction,  shall  have 
full  power  and  authority  to  cause  such  inclosure  to 
be  erected  on  the  fronts  and  roofs  and  the  skylights 
protected,  and  all  expenses  connected  with  same  may 


59 

become  a  lien  on  the  property  in  interest  so  inclosed  and 
protected,  and  which  lien  may  be  created  and  enforced 
in  the  same  manner  as  now  provided  for  in  section  156 
of  this  Code. 


PART  XV. 

MISCELLANEOUS   BUILDINGS. 

Sec.  81. — Grain  Elevators.  Nothing  in  this  Code  shall 
be  so  construed  as  to  apply  to  or  prevent  the  erection 
of  what  are  known  as  grain  elevators,  as  usually  con- 
structed, provided  they  are  erected  on  tidewater,  or  ad- 
jacent to  the  river  front  in  said  city,  in  isolated  locali- 
ties, under  such  conditions  as  the  Department  of  Build- 
ings may  prescribe,  including  location. 

Sec.  82. — Exhibition  Buildings.  Buildings  for  fair 
and  exhibition  purposes,  towers  for  observation  pur- 
poses and  structures  for  similar  uses,  whether  temporary 
or  permanent  in  character,  shall  be  constructed  in  such 
manner  and  under  such  conditions  as  the  Board  of 
Buildings  may  prescribe. 

Sec.  83. — Smokehouses.  All  smokehouses  shall  be  of 
fireproof  construction,  with  brick  walls,  iron  doors  and 
brick  or  metal  roofs.  An  iron  guard  shall  be  placed  over 
and  three  feet  above  the  fire,  and  the  hanging  rails  shall 
be  of  iron.  The  walls  of  all  smokehouses  shall  be  built 
up  at  least  three  feet  higher  than  the  roof  of  the  build- 
ing in  which  they  are  located. 


6o 

PART  XVI. 
HEATING  APPARATUS,  DRYING  ROOMS,  GAS  AND  WATER 

PIPES. 

Sec.  84. — Heating  Furnaces  and  Boilers.  A  brick-set 
boiler  shall  not  be  placed  on  any  wood  or  combustible 
floor  or  beams.  Wood  or  combustible  floors  and  beams 
under  and  not  less  than  three  feet  in  front  and  one  foot 
on  the  sides  of  all  portable  boilers  shall  be  protected 
by  a  suitable  brick  foundation  of  not  less  than  two 
courses  of  brick  well  laid  in  mortar  on  sheet  iron;  the  said 
sheet  iron  shall  extend  at  least  twenty-four  inches  out- 
side of  the  foundation  at  the  sides  and  front.  Bearing 
lines  of  bricks,  laid  on  the  flat,  with  air  spaces  between 
them,  shall  be  placed  on  the  foundation  to  support  a 
cast-iron  ash  pan  of  suitable  thickness,  on  which  the 
base  of  the  boiler  shall  be  placed,  and  shall  have  a 
flange,  turned  up  in  the  front  and  on  the  sides,  four 
inches  high;  said  pan  shall  be  in  width  not  less  than  the 
base  of  the  boiler  and  shall  extend  at  least  two  feet  in 
front  of  it.  If  a  boiler  is  supported  on  a  cast-iron  base 
with  a  bottom  of  the  required  thickness  for  an  ash  pan, 
and  is  placed  on  bearing  lines  of  brick  in  the  same 
manner  as  specified  for  an  ash  pan,  then  an  ash  pan  shall 
be  placed  in  front  of  the  said  base  and  shall  not  be  re- 
quired to  extend  under  it.  All  lath  and  plaster  and 
wood  ceilings  and  beams  over  and  to  a  distance  of  not 
less  than  four  feet  in  front  of  all  boilers  shall  be  shielded 
with  metal.  The  distance  from  the  top  of  the  boiler  to 
said  shield  shall  be  not  less  than  twelve  inches.  No 
combustible  partition  shall  be  within  four  feet  of  the 
sides  and  back  and  six  feet  from  the  front  of  any  boiler, 
unless  said  partition  shall  be  covered  with  metal  to  the 
height  of  at  least  three  feef  above  the  floor,  and  shall 
extend  from  the  end  or  back  of  the  boiler  to  at  least 


6i 

five  feet  in  front  of  it;  then  the  distance  shall  be  not 
less  than  two  feet  from  the  sides  and  five  feet  from  the 
front  of  the  boiler.  All  brick  hot-air  furnaces  shall 
have  two  covers,  with  an  air  space  of  at  least  four 
inches  between  them;  the  inner  cover  of  the  hot-air 
chamber  shall  be  either  a  brick  arch  or  two  courses  of 
brick  laid  on  galvanized  iron  or  tin,  supported  on  iron 
bars;  the  outside  cover,  which  is  the  top  of  the  furnace, 
shall  be  made  of  brick  or  metal  supported  on  iron  bars, 
and  so  constructed  as  to  be  perfectly  tight,  and  shall  be 
not  less  than  four  inches  below  any  combustible  ceiling 
or  floor  beams.  The  walls  of  the  furnace  shall  be  built 
hollow  in  the  following  manner:  One  inner  and  one 
outer  wall,  each  four  inches  in  thickness,  properly 
bonded  together  with  an  air  space  of  not  less  than  three 
inches  between  them.  Furnaces  must  be  built  at  least 
four  inches  from  all  woodwork.  The  cold-air  boxes 
of  all  hot-air  furnaces  shall  be  made  of  metal,  brick  or 
other  incombustible  material,  for  a  distance  of  at  least 
ten  feet  from  the  furnace.  All  portable  hot-air  furnaces 
shall  be  placed  at  least  two  feet  from  any  wood  or  com- 
bustible partition  or  ceiling,  unless  the  partitions  and 
ceilings  are  properly  protected  by  a  metal  shield,  when 
the  distance  shall  be  not  less  than  one  foot.  Wood 
floors  under  all  portable  furnaces  shall  be  protected  by 
two  courses  of  brickwork  well  laid  in  mortar  on  sheet 
iron.  Said  brickwork  shall  extend  at  least  two  feet  be 
yond  the  furnace  in  front  of  the  ash  pan. 

Sec.  85. — Registers.  Registers  located  over  a  brick 
furnace  shall  be  supported  by  a  brick  shaft  built  up 
from  the  cover  of  the  hot-air  chamber;  said  shaft  shall 
be  lined  with  a  metal  pipe,  and  all  wood  beams  shall  be 
trimmed  away  not  less  than  four  inches  from  it.  Where 
a  register  is  placed  on  any  woodwork  in  connection 
with  a  metal  pipe  or  duct,  the  end  of  the  said  pipe  or 


62 

duct  shall  be  flanged  over  on  the  woodwork  under  it 
All  registers  for  hot-air  furnaces  placed  in  any  wood- 
work or  combustible  floors  shall  have  stone  or  iron 
borders  firmly  set  in  plaster  of  paris  or  gauged  mortar. 
All  register  boxes  shall  be  made  of  tin  plate  or  gal- 
vanized iron  with  a  flange  on  the  top  to  fit  the  groove  in 
the  frame,  the  register  to  rest  upon  the  same;  there 
shall  be  an  open  space  of  two  inches  on  all  sides  of  the 
register  box,  extending  from  the  under  side  of  the 
border  to  and  through  the  ceiling  below.  The  said 
opening  shall  be  fitted  with  a  tight  tin  or  galvanized-iron 
casing,  the  upper  end  of  which  shall  be  turned  under 
the  frame.  When  a  register  box  is  placed  in  the  floor 
over  a  portable  furnace,  the  open  space  on  all  sides 
of  the  register  box  shall  be  not  less  than  three  inches. 
When  only  one  register  is  connected  with  a  furnace 
said  register  shall  have  no  valve. 

Sec.  86. — Drying  Rooms.  All  walls,  ceilings  and 
partitions  inclosing  drying  rooms  when  not  made  of 
fireproof  material,  shall  be  wire  lathed  and  plastered, 
or  covered  with  metal,  tile  or  other  hard  incombustible 
material. 

Sec.  87. — Ranges  and  Stoves.  Where  a  kitchen  range 
is  placed  from  twelve  to  six  inches  from  a  wood  stud 
partition,  the  said  partition  shall  be  shielded  with 
metal  from  the  floor  to  the  height  of  not  less  than 
three  feet  higher  than  the  range;  if  the  range  is  within 
six  inches  of  the  partition,  then  the  studs  shall  be 
cut  away  and  framed  three  feet  higher  and  one  foot 
wider  than  the  range,  and  filled  in  to  the  face -of  the 
said  stud  partition  with  brick  or  fireproof  blocks,  and 
plastered  thereon.  All  ranges  on  wood  or  combustible 
floors  and  beams  that  are  not  supported  on  legs  and 


63 

have  ash  pans  three  inches  or  more  above  their  base, 
shall  be   set  on  suitable  brick  foundations,   consisting 
of   not   less   than   two   courses   of   brick   well   laid   in 
mortar  on  sheet  iron,  except  small  ranges  such  as  are 
used   in   apartment   houses   that  have   ash   pans   three 
inches  or  more  above  their  base,  which  shall  be  placed 
on  at  least  one  course  of  brickwork  on  sheet  iron  or 
cement.     No   range   shall  be  placed  against  a  furred 
wall.     All  lath  and  plaster  or  wood  ceilings  over  all 
large    ranges    and    ranges    in    hotels    and    restaurants, 
shall  be  guarded  by  metal  hoods  placed  at  least  nine 
inches    below    the    ceiling.      A    ventilating    pipe    con- 
nected with  a  hood  over  a  range  shall  be  at  least  nine 
inches    from   all   lath   and   plaster   or   woodwork,    and 
shielded.     If  the  pipe   is   less   than   nine   inches   from 
lath   and  plaster  and   woodwork,   then  the  pipe   shall 
be  covered  with  one  inch  of  asbestos  plaster  on  wire 
mesh.    No  ventilating  pipe  connected  with  a  hood  over 
a  range  shall  pass  through  any  floor.     Laundry  stoves 
on  wood  or  combustible  floors  shall  have  a  course  of 
bricks,    laid    on    metal,    on    the    floor   under   and    ex- 
tended twenty-four  inches  on  all  sides  of  them.     All 
stoves    for    heating    purposes    shall    be    properly    sup- 
ported  on   iron   legs    resting   on   the   floor   three   feet 
from   all   lath  and  plaster  or   woodwork;   if  the  lath 
and  plaster  or  woodwork  is  properly  protected  by  a 
metal  shield,  then  the  distance  shall  be  not  less  than 
eighteen  inches.     A  metal  shield  shall  be  placed  under 
and  twelve  inches  in  front  of  the  ash  pan  of  all  stoves 
that  are  placed  on   wood  floors.     All  low  gas  stoves 
shall  be  placed  on   iron   stands,   or  the  burners   shall 
be  at  least   six  inches  above  the  base  of  the   stoves, 
and  metal  guard  plates  placed  four  inches  below  the 
burners,  and  all  woodwork  under  them  shall  be  covered 
with  metal. 


64 

Sec.  88. — Notice  as  to  Heating  Apparatus.  In  cases 
where  hot  water,  steam,  hot  air  or  other  heating  ap- 
pliances or  furnaces  are  hereafter  placed  in  any  build- 
ing, or  flues  or  fire-places  are  changed  or  enlarged, 
due  notice  shall  first  be  given  to  the  Department  of 
Buildings  by  the  person  or  persons  placing  the  said 
furnace  or  furnaces  in  said  building,  or  by  the  con- 
tractor or  superintendent  of  said  work. 

Sec.  89. — Gas  and  Water  Pipes.  Every  building, 
other  than  a  dwelling  house,  hereafter  erected,  and 
all  factories,  hotels,  churches,  theatres,  school-houses 
and  other  buildings  of  a  public  character  now  erected 
in  which  gas  or  steam  is  used  for  lighting  or  heating, 
shall  have  the  supply  pipes  leading  from  the  street 
mains  provided  each  with  a  stop-cock  placed  in  the 
sidewalk  at  or  near  the  curb,  and  so  arranged  as  to 
allow  of  shutting  off  at  that  point.  No  gas,  water  or 
other  pipes  which  may  be  introduced  into  any  build- 
ing shall  be  let  into  the  beams  unless  the  same  be 
placed  within  thirty-six  inches  of  the  end  of  the 
beams;  and  in  no  building  shall  the  said  pipes  be  let 
into  the  beams  more  than  two  inches  in  depth.  All 
said  pipes  shall  be  installed  in  accordance  with  the 
rules  and  regulations  prescribed  by  the  Board  of  Build- 
ings. All  gas  brackets  shall  be  placed  at  least  three 
feet  below  any  ceiling  or  woodwork,  unless  the  same 
is  properly  protected  by  a  shield;  in  which  case  the 
distance  shall  be  not  less  than  eighteen  inches.  No 
swinging  or  folding  gas  bracket  shall  be  placed  against 
any  stud  partition  or  woodwork.  No  gas  bracket  on 
any  lath  and  plaster  partition  or  woodwork  shall  be 
less  than  five  inches  in  length,  measured  from  the 
burner  to  the  plaster  surface  or  woodwork.  Gas- 
lights placed  near  window  curtains  or  any  other  com- 
bustible material  shall  be  protected  by  a  proper  shield. 


PART  XVII. 

ROOFS,  LEADERS,  CORNICES,  BULKHEADS,  SCUTTLES  AND 
TANKS. 

Sec.  90. — Mansard  Roofs.  If  a  mansard  or  other 
roof  of  like  character  having  a  pitch  of  over  sixty 
degrees  be  placed  on  any  building,  except  a  wood  build- 
ing, or  a  dwelling-house  not  exceeding  three  stories 
nor  more  than  forty  feet  in  height,  it  shall  be  con- 
structed of  iron  rafters  and  lathed  with  iron  or  steel 
on  the  inside  and  plastered,  or  filled  in  with  fireproof 
material  not  less  than  three  inches  thick,  and  covered 
with  metal,  slate  or  tile. 

Sec.  91. — Cornices  and  Gutters.  On  all  buildings 
hereafter  erected  within  the  fire  limits,  the  exterior 
cornices,  inclusive  of  those  on  show  windows,  and 
gutters  shall  be  of  some  fireproof  material.  All  fire- 
proof cornices  shall  be  well  secured  to  the  walls  with 
iron  anchors,  independent  of  any  woodwork.  In  all 
cases  the  walls  shall  be  carried  up  to  the  planking  of 
the  roof.  Where  the  cornice  projects  above  the  roof 
the  walls  shall  be  carried  up  to  the  top  of  the  cornice. 
The  party  walls  shall  in  all  cases  extend  up  above  the 
planking  of  the  cornice  and  be  coped.  All  exterior 
wooden  cornices  that  may  now  be  or  that  may  here- 
after become  unsafe  or  rotten  shall  be  taken  down,  and 
if  replaced,  shall  be  constructed  of  some  fireproof  ma- 
terial. All  exterior  cornices  of  wood  or  gutters  that  may 
hereafter  be  damaged  by  fire  to  the  extent  of  one-half 
shall  be  taken  down,  and  if  replaced  shall  be  con- 
structed of  some  fireproof  material ;  but  if  not  damaged 
to  the  extent  of  one-half,  the  same  may  be  repaired 
with  the  same  kind  of  material  of  which  they  were 
originally  constructed. 


66 

Sec.  92.— Bulkheads  on  Roofs  and  Scuttles.  Bulk- 
heads used  as  inclosures  for  tanks  and  elevators,  and 
coverings  for  the  machinery  of  elevators  and  all  other 
bulkheads,  including  the  bulkheads  of  all  dwelling 
houses  more  than  four  stories  in  height  hereafter 
erected  or  altered,  may  be  constructed  of  hollow  fire- 
proof blocks;  or  of  wood,  covered  with  not  less  than 
two  inches  of  fireproof  material,  or  filled  in  the  thick- 
ness of  the  studding  with  such  material,  and  covered 
on  all  outside  surfaces  with  metal,  including  both 
surfaces  and  edges  of  doors.  All  such  buildings  shall 
have  scuttles  or  bulkheads  covered  with  some  fire- 
proof materials,  with  ladders  or  stairs  leading  there- 
to, and  easily  accessible  to  all  occupants.  No  scuttle 
shall  be  less  in  size  than  two  by  three  feet.  No  stag- 
ing or  stand  shall  be  constructed  or  occupied  upon 
the  roof  of  any  building  without  first  obtaining  the 
approval  of  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having 
jurisdiction. 

Sec.  93. — Tanks.  Tanks  containing  more  than  five 
hundred  gallons  of  water  or  other  fluid  hereafter 
placed  in  any  story,  or  on  the  roof  or  above  the  roof 
of  any  building  now  or  hereafter  erected,  shall  be 
supported  on  iron  or  steel  beams  of  sufficient  strength 
to  safely  carry  the  same;  and  the  beams  shall  rest  at 
both  their  ends  on  brick  walls  or  on  iron  or  steel 
girders  or  iron  or  steel  columns  or  piers  of  masonry. 
Underneath  any  said  water  tank  or  on  the  side  near  the 
bottom  of  the  same,  there  shall  be  a  short  pipe  or  out- 
let, not  less  than  four  inches  in  diameter,  fitted  with  a 
suitable  valve  having  a  lever  or  wheel  handle  to  same, 
so  that  firemen  or  others  can  readily  discharge  the 
weight  of  the  fluid  contents  from  the  tank,  in  case  ol 
necessity.  Such  tanks  shall  be  placed  where  prac- 


67 

ticable  at  one  corner  of  a  building,  and  shall  not  be 
placed  over  nor  near  a  line  of  stairs.  Covers  on  top  of 
water  tanks  placed  on  roofs,  if  of  wood  shall  be 
covered  with  tin. 

Sec.  94. — Roofing  and  Leaders  within  the  Fire  Limits. 
The  planking  and  sheathing  of  the  roofs  of  build- 
ings shall  not  in  any  case  be  extended  across  the  side 
or  party  wall  thereof.  Every  building  and  the  tops  and 
sides  of  every  dormer-window  thereon  shall  be  covered 
and  roofed  with  brick,  tile,  slate,  tin,  copper,  iron; 
or  plastic  slate,  asphalt,  slag,  or  gravel  may  be  used, 
provided  such  roofing  shall  be  composed  of  not  less 
than  five  layers  of  roofing  felt,  cemented  together  and 
finished  with  not  less  than  ten  gallons  of  coal  tar, 
pitch  or  asphalt  to  each  one  hundred  square  feet  of 
roof,  or  such  other  quality  of  fireproof  roofing  as  the 
Board  of  Buildings,  under  its  certificate,  may  authorize, 
and  the  outside  of  the  frames  of  every  dormer-window 
hereafter  placed  upon  any  building  shall  be  made  of 
some  fireproof  material.  No  wood  building  within  the 
fire  limits  more  than  two  stories  or  above  twenty  feet 
in  height  above  the  curb  level  to  the  highest  part 
thereof,  which  shall  require  roofing,  shall  be  roofed 
with  any  other  roofing  or  covered  except  as  aforesaid. 
Nothing  in  this  section  shall  be  construed  to  prohibit 
the  repairing  of  any  shingle  roof,  provided  the  build- 
ing is  not  altered  in  height.  All  buildings  shall  be 
kept  provided  with  proper  metallic  leaders  for  con- 
ducting water  from  the  roofs  in  such  manner  as  shall 
protect  the  walls  and  foundations  of  said  buildings 
from  injury.  In  no  case  shall  the  water  from  the  said 
leaders  be  allowed  to  flow  upon  the  sidewalk,  but  the 
same  shall  be  conducted  by  pipe  or  pipes  to  the  sewer. 
If  there  be  no  sewer  in  the  street  upon  which  such 


68 

buildings  front,  then  the  water  from  said  leader  shall 
be  conducted  by  proper  pipe  or  pipes,  below  the  surface 
of  the  sidewalk  to  the  street  gutter. 


PART  XVIII. 
ELEVATORS,  HOISTWAYS  AND  DUMB  WAITERS. 

Sec.  95. — Elevators  and  Hoistzvays.  In  any  building 
in  which  there  shall  be  any  hoistway  or  freight  ele- 
vator or  wellhole  not  inclosed  in  walls  constructed  of 
brick  or  other  fireproof  material  and  provided  with 
fireproof  doors,  the  openings  thereof  through  and  upon 
each  floor  of  said  building,  shall  be  provided  with  and 
protected  by  a  substantial  guard  or  gate  and  with 
such  good  and  sufficient  trap-doors  as  may  be  directed 
and  approved  by  the  Department  of  Buildings;  and 
when  in  the  opinion  of  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings 
having  jurisdiction,  automatic  trap-doors  are  required 
to  the  floor  openings  of  any  uninclosed  freight  ele- 
vator, the  same  shall  be  constructed  so  as  to  form  a 
substantial  floor  surface  when  closed,  and  so  arranged 
as  to  open  and  close  by  the  action  of  the  elevator  in  its 
passage  either  ascending  or  descending.  The  said  Com- 
missioner of  Buildings  shall  have  exclusive  power  and 
authority  to  require  the  openings  of  hoistways  or  hoist- 
way  shafts,  elevators  and  wellholes  in  buildings  to  be 
inclosed  or  secured  by  trap-doors,  guards  or  gates  and 
railings.  Such  guards  or  gates  shall  be  kept  closed  at  all 
times,  except  when  in  actual  use,  and  the  trap-doors 
shall  be  closed  at  the  close  of  the  business  of  each  day 
by  the  occupant  or  occupants  of  the  building  having  the 
use  or  control  of  the  same. 


69 

Sec.  96. — Elevator  Inclosures.  All  elevators  here- 
after placed  in  any  building,  except  such  fireproof 
buildings  as  have  been  or  may  be  hereafter  erected, 
shall  be  inclosed  in  suitable  walls  of  brick,  or  with  a 
suitable  framework  of  iron  and  burnt  clay  filling,  or  of 
such  other  fireproof  material  and  form  of  construction 
as  may  be  approved  by  the  Department  of  Buildings, 
except  that  the  inclosure  walls  in  non-fireproof  build- 
ings used  as  warehouses,  stores  or  factories  shall  be  of 
brick.  If  the  inclosure  walls  are  of  brick,  laid  in 
cement  mortar,  and  not  used  as  bearing  walls,  they 
may  be  eight  inches  in  thickness  for  not  more  than 
fifty  feet  of  their  uppermost  height,  and  increasing  in 
thickness  four  inches  for  each  lower  fifty  feet  portion 
or  part  thereof.  Said  walls  or  construction  shall  ex- 
tend through  and  at  least  three  feet  above  the  roof. 
All  openings  in  the  said  walls  shall  be  provided  with 
fireproof  shutters  or  fireproof  doors,  made  solid  for 
three  feet  above  the  floor  level,  except  that  the  doors 
used  for  openings  in  buildings  intended  for  the  occu- 
pancy of  one  family  may  be  of  wood  covered  on  the 
inner  surface  and  edges  with  metal,  not  including  the 
openings  in  the  cellar,  nor  above  the  roof  in  any  such 
shaft  walls.  The  roofs  over  all  inclosed  elevators  shall 
be  made  of  fireproof  materials,  with  a  skylight  at  least 
three-fourths  the  area  of  the  shaft,  made  of  glass,  set 
in  iron  frames.  When  the  shaft  does  not  extend  to 
the  ground,  the  lower  end  shall  be  inclosed  in  fireproof 
material. 

Sec.  97. — Dumb-waiter  Shafts.  All  dumb-waiter 
shafts,  except  such  as  do  not  extend  more  than  three 
stories  above  the  cellar  or  basement  in  dwelling-houses, 
shall  be  inclosed  in  suitable  walls  of  brick  or  with 
burnt  clay  blocks,  set  in  iron  frames  of  proper 


TO 

strength  or  fireproof  blocks  strengthened  with  metal 
dowels,  or  such  other  fireproof  material  and  form  of 
construction  as  may  be  approved  by  the  Commissioner 
of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction.  Said  walls  or  con- 
struction shall  extend  at  least  three  feet  above  the 
roof  and  be  covered  with  a  skylight  at  least  three- 
fourths  the  area  of  the  shaft,  made  with  metal  frames 
and  glazed.  All  openings  in  the  inclosure  walls  or  con- 
struction shall  be  provided  with  self-closing  fireproof 
doors.  When  the  shaft  does  not  extend  to  the  floor 
level  of  the  lowest  story,  the  bottom  of  the  shaft  shall 
be  constructed  of  fire-proof  material. 

Sec.  98. — Elevators  in  Staircase  Inclosures.  Open 
grillwork '  inclosures  for  passenger  elevators,  not  ex- 
tending below  the  level  of  the  first  floor,  may  be 
erected  in  staircase  inclosures  in  buildings  where  the 
entire  space  occupied  by  the  stairs  and  elevator  is  in- 
closed in  brick  or  stone  walls,  and  the  stairs  are  con- 
structed as  specified  in  Section  53  of  this  Code. 

Sec.  99. — Elevators  in  Existing  Hotels.  In  every 
non-fireproof  building,  used  or  occupied  as  a  hotel,  in 
which  there  is  an  elevator  not  inclosed  in  fireproof 
shafts,  such  elevator  shall  be  inclosed  in  suitable  walls, 
constructed  and  arranged  as  in  this  Code  required  for 
elevator  shafts. 

Sec.  100. — Screen  Under  Elevator  Sheaves.  Imme- 
diately under  the  sheaves  at  the  top  of  every  elevator 
shaft  in  any  building  there  shall  be  provided  and  placed 
a  substantial  grating  or  screen  of  iron  or  steel,  of  such 
construction  as  shall  be  approved  by  the  Department 
of  Buildings. 

Sec.  101. — Inspection  of  Elevators.  The  Commis- 
sioners of  Buildings  shall  cause  an  inspection  of  eie- 


71 

vators  carrying  passengers  or  employes  to  be  made  at 
least  once  every  three  months,  and  shall  make  regula- 
tions for  the  inspection  of  such  elevators  with  a  view 
to  safety;  and  shall  also  prescribe  suitable  qualifications 
for  persons 'who  are  placed  in  charge  of  the  running  of 
such  elevators.  The  regulations  shall  require  any  re- 
pairs found  necessary  to  any  such  elevators  to  be  made 
without  delay  by  the  owner  or  lessee.  In  case  defects 
are  found  to  exist  which  endanger  life  or  limb  by  the 
continued  use  of  such  elevator,  then,  upon  notice  from 
the  Department  of  Buildings,  the  use  of  such  elevator 
shall  cease,  and  it  shall  not  again  be  used  until  a  cer- 
tificate shall  be  first  obtained  from  said  Department 
that  such  elevator  has  been  made  safe.  No  person 
shall  employ  or  permit  any  person  to  be  in  charge 
of  running  any  passenger  elevator  who  does  not  possess 
the  qualifications  prescribed  therefor. 

Every  freight  elevator  or  lift  shall  have  a  notice 
posted  conspicuously  thereon  as  follows:  Persons 
riding  on  this  elevator  do  so  at  their  own  risk. 


PART  XIX. 

FIRE  APPLIANCES,  FIRE-ESCAPES  AND  FIREPROOF  SHUT- 
TERS AND  DOORS. 

Sec.  102. — Auxiliary  Fire  Apparatus  for  Buildings. 
In  every  building  now  erected,  unless  already  provided 
with  a  three-inch  or  larger  vertical  pipe,  which  ex- 
ceeds one  hundred  feet  in  height  and  in  every  build- 
ing hereafter  to  be  erected  exceeding  eighty-five  feet  in 
height,  and  when  any  such  building  does  not  exceed 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height,  it  shall  be  provided 
with  a  four-inch  stand  pipe,  running  from  cellar  to 


roof,  with  one  two-way  three-inch  Siamese  connection 
to  be  placed  on  street  above  the  curb  level,  and  with 
one  two-and-one-half  inch  outlet,  with  hose  attached 
thereto  on  each  floor,  placed  as  near  the  stairs  as  prac- 
ticable; and  all  buildings  now  erected,  unless  already 
provided  with  a  three-inch  or  larger  vertical  pipe,  or 
hereafter  to  be  erected,  exceeding  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  in  height,  shall  be  provided  with  an  auxiliary 
fire  apparatus  and  appliances,  consisting  of  water  tank 
on  roof,  or  in  cellar,  stand  pipes,  hose,  nozzles, 
wrenches,  fire  extinguishers,  hooks,  axes  and  such 
other  appliances  as  may  be  required  by  the  Fire  De- 
partment; all  to  be  of  the  best  material  and  of  the 
sizes,  patterns  and  regulation  kinds  used  and  required 
by  the  Fire  Department.  In  every  such  building  a 
steam  pump  and  at  least  one  passenger  elevator  shall 
be  kept  in  readiness  for  immediate  use  by  the  Fire 
Department,  during  all  hours  of  the  night  and  day,  in- 
cluding holidays  and  Sundays.  The  said  pumps,  if 
located  in  the  lowest  story,  shall  be  placed  not  less  than 
two  feet  above  the  floor  level.  The  boilers  which 
supply  power  to  the  passenger  elevators  and  pumps,  if 
located  in  the  lowest  story,  shall  be  so  surrounded  by 
a  dwarf  brick  wall  laid  in  cement  mortar,  or  other  suit- 
able permanent  waterproof  construction,  as  to  exclude 
water  to  the  depth  of  two  feet  above  the  floor  level 
from  flowing  into  the  ash  pits  of  said  boilers.  When 
the  level  of  the  floor  of  the  lowest  story  is  above  the 
level  of  the  sewer  in  the  street,  a  large  cess-pool  shall 
be  placed  in  said  floor  and  connected  by  a  four-inch 
cast  iron  drain  pipe  with  the  street  sewer.  Stand  pipes 
shall  be  not  less  than  six  inches  in  diameter  for  all 
buildings  exceeding  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in 
height.  All  stand-pipes  shall  extend  to  the  street  and 


73 

there  be  provided  at  or  near  the  sidewalk  level  with 
the  Siamese  connections.  Said  stand-  pipes  shall  also 
extend  to  the  roof.  Valve  outlets  shall  be  provided 
on  each  and  every  story,  including  the  basement  and 
cellar,  and  on  the  roof.  All  valves,  hose,  tools,  and 
other  appliances,  provided  for  in  this  section,  shall  be 
kept  in  perfect  working  order,  and  once  a  month  the 
person  in  charge  of  said  building  shall  make  a  thorough 
inspection  of  the  same  to  see  that  all  valves,  hose,  and 
other  appliances  are  in  perfect  working  order  and 
ready  for  immediate  use  by  the  Fire  Department.  If 
any  of  the  said  buildings  extend  from  street  to  street, 
or  form  an  L  shape,  they  shall  be  provided  with  stand 
pipes  for  each  street  frontage.  In  such  buildings  as 
are  used  or  occupied  for  business  or  manufacturing 
purposes  there  shall  be  provided,  in  connection  with 
said  stand  pipe  or  pipes,  two-and-one-half  inch  per- 
forated iron  pipes  placed  on  and  along  the  ceiling  line 
of  each  floor  below  the  first  floor  and  extending  to  the 
full  depth  of  the  building.  Such  perforated  pipe  shall 
be  provided  with  a  valve  placed  at  or  near  the  stand 
pipe,  so  that  the  water  can  be  let  into  same  when 
deemed  necessary  by  the  firemen,  or  in  lieu  of  such 
perforated  pipes  automatic  sprinklers  may  be  put  in. 
When  the  building  is  twenty-five  feet  or  less  in  width, 
two  lines  of  perforated  pipes  shall  be  provided,  and  one 
line  additionally  for  each  twelve  and  one-half  feet,  or 
part  thereof  that  the  building  is  wider  than  twenty- 
five  feet.  A  suitable  iron  plate  with  raised  letters  shall 
be  fastened  to  the  wall  near  said  stand* pipe  to  read: 
This  stand  pipe  connects  to  perforated  pipes  in  the 
cellar.  ' 


74 

Sec.  103. — Fire-Escapes.  Every  dwelling-house  occu- 
pied by  or  built  to  be  occupied  by  three  or  more 
families,  and  every  building  already  erected,  or  that 
may  hereafter  be  erected,  more  than  three  stories  in 
height,  occupied  and  used  as  a  hotel  or  lodging-house, 
and  every  boarding-house,  having  more  than  fifteen 
sleeping  rooms  above  the  basement  story,  and  every 
factory,  .  mill,  manufactory  or  workshop,  hospital, 
asylum  or  institution  for  the  care  or  treatment  of 
individuals,  and  every  building  three  stories  and  over 
in  height  used  or  occupied  as  a  store  or  workroom,  and 
every  building  in  whole  or  in  part  occupied  or  used  as 
a  school  or  place  of  instruction  or  assembly,  and  every 
office  building  five  stories  or  more  in  height,  shall  be 
provided  with  such  good  and  sufficient  fire-escape, 
stairways,  or  other  means  of  egress  in  case  of  fire  as 
shall  be  directed  by  the  Department  of  Buildings;  and 
said  Department  shall  have  full  and  exclusive  power 
and  authority  within  said  city  to  direct  fire-escapes 
and  other  means  of  egress  to  be  provided  upon  and 
within  said  building  or  any  of  them.  The  owner  or 
owners  of  any  building  upon  which  a  fire-escape  is 
erected  shall  keep  the  same  in  good  repair  and  properly 
painted.  No  person  shall  at  any  time  place  any  in- 
cumbrance  of  any  kind  whatsoever  before  or  upon  any 
fire-escape,  balcony  or  ladder.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of 
every  fireman  and  policeman  who  shall  discover  any 
fire-escape  balcony  or  ladder  of  any  fire-escape  in- 
cumbered  in  any  way,  to  forthwith  report  the  same  to 
the  commanding  officer  of  his  company  or  precinct, 
and  such  commanding  officer  shall  forthwith  cause  the 
occupant  of  the  premises  or  apartment  to  which  said 
fire-escape  balcony  or  ladder  is  attached  or  for  whose 
use  the  same  is  provided,  to  be  notified,  either  verbally 


75 

or  in  writing,  to  remove  such  incumbrance  and  keep 
the  same  clear.  If  said  notice  shall  not  be  complied 
with  by  the  removal,  forthwith,  of  such  incumbrance, 
and  keeping  said  fire-escape,  balcony  or  ladder  free 
from  incumbrance,  then  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  said 
commanding  officers  to  apply  to  the  nearest  police 
magistrate  for  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  the  occupant 
or  occupants  of  the  said  premises  or  apartment  of 
which  the  fire-escape  forms  a  part,  and  the  said  parties 
shall  be  brought  before  the  said  magistrate,  as  for  a 
misdemeanor;  and,  on  conviction,  the  occupant  or 
occupants  of  said  premises  or  apartment  shall  be  fined 
not  more  than  ten  dollars  for  each  offense,  or  may  be 
imprisoned  not  to  exceed  ten  days,  or  both,  in  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  court.  In  constructing  all  balcony  fire- 
escapes,  the  manufacturer  thereof  shall  securely  fasten 
thereto,  in  a  conspicuous  place,  a  cast-iron  plate  having 
suitable  raised  letters  on  the  same,  to  read  as  follows: 
Notice:  Any  person  placing  any  incumbrance  on  this 
balcony  is  liable  to  a  penalty  of  ten  dollars  and  im- 
prisonment  for  ten  days.' 

All  buildings  requiring  fire-escapes  shall  have  sta- 
tionary iron  ladders  leading  to  the  scuttle  opening  in 
the  roof  thereof,  and  all  scuttles  and  ladders  shall  be 
kept  so  as  to  be  ready  for  use  at  all  times.  If  a  bulk- 
head is  used  in  place  of  a  scuttle,  it  shall  have  stairs 
with  sufficient  guard  or  hand-rail  leading  to  the  roof. 
In  case  the  building  shall  be  a  tenement-house,  the 
door  in  the  bulkhead  or  any  scuttle,  shall  at  no  time 
be  locked,  but  may  be  fastened  on  the  inside  by  mov- 
able bolts  or  hooks. 

Sec.  104.— Fireproof  Shutters  and  Doors.  Every 
building  which  is  more  than  two  stories  in  height 


76 

above  the  curb  level,  except  dwelling-houses,  hotels, 
school-houses  and  churches,  shall  have  doors,  blinds 
or  shutters  made  of  iron,  hung  to  iron  hanging  frames 
or  to  iron  eyes  built  into  the  wall,  on  every  exterior 
window  and  opening  above  the  first  story  thereof,  ex- 
cepting on  the  front  openings  of  buildings  fronting  on 
streets  which  are  more  than  thirty  feet  in  width,  or 
where  no  other  buildings  are  within  thirty  feet  of  such 
openings.  The  said  doors,  blinds  or  shutters  may  be 
constructed  of  pine  or  other  soft  wood  of  two  thick- 
nesses of  matched  boards  at  right  angles  with  each 
other,  and  securely  covered  with  tin,  on  both  sides 
and  edges,  with  folded  lapped  joints,  the  nails  for 
fastening  the  same  being  driven  inside  the  lap;  the 
hinges  and  bolts  or  latches  shall  be  secured  or  fastened 
to  the  door  or  shutter  after  the  same  has  been  covered 
with  the  tin,  and  such  doors  or  shutters  shall  be  hung 
upon  an  iron  frame,  independent  of  the  woodwork  of 
the  windows  and  doors,  or  two  iron  hinges  securely 
fastened  in  the  masonry;  or  such  frames,  if  of  wood, 
shall  be  covered  with  tin  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
doors  and  shutters.  All  shutters  opening  on  fire- 
escapes,  and  at  least  one  row,  vertically,  in  every  three 
rows  on  the  front  window  openings  above  the  first 
story  of  any  building,  shall  be  so  arranged  that  they 
can  be  readily  opened  from  the  outside  by  firemen. 
All  rolling  iron  or  steel  shutters  hereafter  placed  in  the 
first  story  of  any  building,  shall  be  counter-balanced  so 
that  said  rolling  shutters  may  be  readily  opened  by  the 
firemen.  No  building  hereafter  erected,  other  than  a 
dwelling-house  or  fireproof  building,  shall  have  inside 
iron  or  steel  shutters  to  windows  above  the  first  story. 
All  windows  and  openings  above  the  first  story  of  any 
building  may  be  provided  with  other  suitable  protec- 


77 

tion  or  may  be  exempted  from  having  shutters  by  the 
Board  of  Buildings  or  the  Board  of  Examiners  as  the 
case  may  be.  All  buildings  specified  in  this  section, 
hereafter  erected  or  altered,  having  openings  in  in- 
terior walls,  shall  be  provided  with  suitable  fireproof 
doors  where  deemed  necessary  by  the  Commissioner 
of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction.  All  occupants  of 
buildings  shall  close  all  exterior  and  interior  fireproof 
shutters,  doors  and  blinds  at  the. close  of  the  business 
of  each  day. 


PART  XX. 

FIREPROOF  BUILDINGS. 

Sec.  105. — Fireproof  Buildings.  Every  building  here- 
after erected  or  altered,  to  be  used  as  a  hotel,  lodging- 
house,  school,  theatre,  jail,  police  station,  hospital, 
asylum,  institution  for  the  care  or  treatment  of  per- 
sons, the  height  of  which  exceeds  thirty-five  feet,  ex- 
cepting all  buildings  for  which  specifications  and  plans 
have  been  heretofore  submitted  to  and  approved  by 
the  Department  of  Buildings,  and  every  other  building 
the  height  of  which  exceeds  seventy-five  feet,  except 
as  herein  otherwise  provided,  shall  be  built  fireproof, 
that  is  to  say,  they  shall  be  constructed  with  walls  of 
brick,  stone,  Portland  cement  concrete,  iron  or  steel, 
in  which  wood  beams  or  lintels  shall  not  be  placed, 
and  in  which  the  floors  and  roofs  shall  be  of  materials 
provided  for  in  Section  106  of  this  Code.  The  stairs 
and  staircase  landings  shall  be  built  entirely  of  brick, 
stone,  Portland  cement  concrete,  iron  or  steel.  No 
woodwork  or  other  inflammable  material  shall  be  used  in 
any  of  the  partitions,  furrings  or  ceilings  in  any  such 
fireproof  buildings,  excepting,  however,  that  when  the 


78 

height  of  the  building  does  not  exceed  twelve  stories 
nor  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  the  doors 
and  windows  and  their  frames,  the  trims,  the  casings, 
the  interior  finish  when  filled  solid  at  the  back  with 
fireproof  material,  and  the  floor  boards  and  sleepers 
directly  thereunder,  may  be  of  wood,  but  the  space 
between  the  sleepers  shall  be  solidly  filled  with  fire- 
proof materials  and  extend  up  to  the  under  side  of  the 
floor  boards.  '  9 

When  the  height  of  •  a  fireproof  building  exceeds 
twelve  stories,  or  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet,  the  floor  surfaces  shall  be  of  stone,  cement,  rock 
asphalt,  tiling  or  similar  incombustible  material,  or 
the  sleepers  and  floors  may  be  of  wood  treated  by 
some  process,  approved  by  the  Board  of  Buildings, 
to  render  the  same  fireproof.  All  outside  window 
frames  and  sash  shall  be  of  metal,  or  of  wood  covered 
with  metal.  The  inside  window  frames  and  sash, 
doors,  trim  and  other  interior  finish  may  be  of 
wood  covered  with  metal,  or  of  wood  treated  by  some 
process  approved  by  the  Board  of  Buildings  to  render 
the  same  fireproof. 

All  hall  partitions  or  permanent  partitions  between 
rooms  in  fireproof  buildings  shall  be  built  of  fireproof 
material  and  shall  not  be  started  on  wood  sills,  nor  on 
wood  floor  boards,  but  be  built  upon  the  fireproof 
construction  of  the  floor  and  extend  to  the  fireproof 
beam  filling  above.  The  tops  of  all  door  and  window 
openings  in  such  partitions  shall  be  at  least  twelve 
inches  below  the  ceiling  line. 

Sec.  106. — Fireproof  Floors.  Fireproof  floors  shall 
be  constructed  with  wrought  iron  or  steel  floor  beams 
so  arranged  as  to  spacing  and  length  of  beams  that  the 
load  to  be  supported  by  them,  together  with  the  weights 
of  the  materials  used  in  the  construction  of  the  said 


79 

floors  shall  not  cause  a  greater  deflection  of  the  said 
beams  than  one-thirtieth  of  an  inch  per  foot  of  span 
under  the  total  load;  and  they  shall  be  tied  together  at 
intervals  of  not  more  than  eight  times  the  depth  of  the 
beam.  Between  the  wrought  iron  or  steel  floor  beams 
shall  be  placed  brick  arches  springing  from  the  lower 
flange  of  the  steel  beams.  Said  brick  arches  shall  be 
designed  with  a  rise  to  safely  carry  the  imposed  load 
but  never  less  than  one  and  one-quarter  inches  for  each 
foot  of  span  between  the  beams,  and  they  shall  have  a 
thickness  of  not  less  than  four  inches  for  spans  of 
five  feet  or  less  and  eight  inches  for  spans  over  five 
feet,  or  such  thickness  as  may  be  required  by  the 
Board  of  Buildings.  Said  brick  arches  shall  be  com- 
posed of  good,  hard  brick  or  hollow  brick  of  ordinary 
dimensions  laid  to  a  line  on  the  centres,  properly  and 
solidly  bonded,  each  longitudinal  line  of  brick  break- 
ing joints  with  the  adjoining  lines  in  the  same  ring 
and  with  the  ring  under  it  when  more  than  a  four-inch 
arch  is  used.  The  brick  shall  be  well  wet  and  the 
joints  filled  in  solid  with  cement  mortar.  The  arches 
shall  be  well  grouted  and  properly  keyed.  Or  the  space 
between  the  beams  may  be  filled  in  with  hollow  tile 
arches  of  hard-burnt  clay  or  porous  terra-cotta  of 
uniform  density  and  hardness  of  burn.  The  skew 
backs  shall  be  of  such  form  and  section  as  to  properly 
receive  the  thrust  of  said  arch;  and  the  said  arches 
shall  be  of  a  depth  and  sectional  area  to  carry  the  load 
to  be  imposed  thereon,  without  straining  the  material 
beyond  its  safe  working  load,  but  said  depth  shall  not 
be  less  than  one  and  three-quarter  inches  for  each  foot 
of  span,  not  including  any  portion  of  the  depth  of  the 
tile  projecting  below  the  under  side  of  the  beams,  a 
variable  distance  being  allowed  of  not  over  six  inches 
in  the  span  between  the  beams,  if  the  soffits  of  the 


8o 

tile  are  straight;  but  if  said  arches  are  segmental, 
having  a  rise  of  not  less  than  one  and  one-quarter 
inches  for  each  foot  of  span,  the  depth  of  the  tile 
shall  be  not  less  than  six  inches.  The  joints  shall  be 
solidly  filled  with  cement  mortar  as  required  for  com- 
mon brick  arches  and  the  arch  so  constructed  that  the 
key  block  shall  always  fall  in  the  central  portion.  The 
shells  and  webs  of  all  end  construction  blocks  shall 
abut,  one  against  another.  Or  the  space  between  the 
beams  may  be  filled  with  arches  of  Portland  cement 
concrete,  segmental  in  form,  and  which  shall  have  a 
rise  of  not  less  than  one  and  one-quarter  inches  for 
each  foot  of  span  between  the  beams.  The  concrete 
shall  be  not  less  than  four  inches  in  thickness  at  the 
crown  of  the  arch  and  shall  be  mixed  in  the  proportions 
required  by  Section  18  of  this  Code.  These  arches 
shall  in  all  cases  be  reinforced  and  protected  on  the 
under  side  with  corrugated  or  sheet  steel,  steel  ribs,  or 
metal  in  other  forms  weighing  not  less  than  one  pound 
per  square  foot  and  having  no  openings  larger  than 
three  inches  square.  Or  between  the  said  beams  may  be 
placed  solid  or  hollow  burnt-clay,  stone,  brick,  or 
concrete  slabs  in  flat  or  curved  shapes,  concrete  or 
other  fireproof  composition,  and  any  of  said  materials 
may  be  used  in  combination  with  wire  cloth,  expanded 
metal,  wire  strands,  or  wrought  iron  or  steel  bars; 
but  in  any  such  construction  and  as  a  precedent  con- 
dition to  the  same  being  used,  tests  shall  be  made  as 
herein  provided  by  the  manufacturer  thereof  under  the 
direction  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Board  of 
Buildings,  and  evidence  of  the  same  shall  be  kept  on 
file  in  the  Department  of  Buildings,  showing  the  nature 
of  the  test  and  the  result  of  the  test.  Such  tests  shall 
be  made  by  constructing  within  inclosure  walls  a  plat- 
form consisting  of  four  rolled  steel  beams,  ten  inches 


Si 

deep,  weighing  each  twenty-five  pounds  per  lineal  foot, 
and  placed  four  feet  between  the  centres,  and  connected 
by  transverse  tie-rods,  and  with  a  clear  span  of  four- 
teen feet  for  the  two  interior  beams  and  with  the  two 
outer  beams   supported   or   the  side   walls   throughout 
their  length,  and  with  both  a  filling  between  the  said 
beams,  and  a  fireproof  protection  of  the  exposed  parts 
of  the  beams  of  the  system  to  be  tested,  constructed  as 
in  actual  practice,   with  the  quality  of  material   ordi- 
narily used   in   that   system   and   the   ceiling  plastered 
below,  as  in  a  finished  job;  such  filling  between  the  two 
interior  beams  being  loaded  with  a  distributed  load  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  per  square  foot  of  its 
area   and   all   carried   by   such  filling;    and    subjecting 
the  platform  so  constructed  to  the  continuous  heat  of 
a.  wood  fire  below,  averaging  not  less  than  seventeen 
hundred    degrees    Fahrenheit    for    not    less    than    four 
hours,  during  which  time  the  platform  shall  have  re- 
mained   in    such    condition    that    no    flame    will    have 
passed    through    the    platform    or    any    part    of    the 
same,     and    that    no    part    of    the    load    shall    have 
fallen     through,     and     that     the     beams     shall     have 
been  protected  from  the  heat  to  the  extent  that  after 
applying  to  the  under  side  of  the  platform  at  the  end 
of  the  heat   test   a   stream   of   water   directed   against 
the  bottom  of  the  platform  and  discharged  through  a 
one    and    one-eighth    inch    nozzle   under    sixty   pounds 
pressure  for  five  minutes,  and  after  flooding  the  top  of 
the  platform  with  water  under  low  pressure,  and  then 
again  applying  the  stream  of  water  through  the  nozzle 
under  the  sixty  pounds  pressure  to  the  bottom  of  the 
platform   for  five   minutes,   and   after  a   total   load   of 
six   hundred    pounds    per    square    foot   uniformly   dis- 
tributed  over   the   middle  bay   shall   have  been   applied 


82 

and  removed,  after  the  platform  shall  have  cooled,  the 
maximum  deflection  of  the  interior  beams  shall  not 
exceed  two  and  one-half  inches.  The  Board  of  Build- 
ings may  from  time  to  time  prescribe  additional  or 
different  tests  than  the  foregoing  for  systems  of  filling 
between  iron  or  steel  floor  beams,  and  the  protection  of 
the  exposed  parts  of  the  beams.  Any  system  failing  to 
meet  the  requirements  of  the  test  of  heat,  water  and 
weight,  as  herein  prescribed  shall  be  prohibited  from 
use  in  any  building  hereafter  erected.  Duly  authenti- 
cated records  of  the  tests  heretofore  made  of-  any  sys- 
tem of  fireproof  floor  filling  and  protection  of  the  ex- 
posed parts  of  the  beams  may  be  presented  to  the 
Board  of  Buildings,  and  if  the  same  be  satisfactory  to 
said  Board,  it  shall  be  accepted  as  conclusive.  No 
filling  of  any  kind  which  may  be  injured  by  frost  shall 
be  placed  between  said  floor  beams  during  freezing 
weather,  and  if  the  same  is  so  placed  during  any 
winter  month,  it  shall  be  temporarily  covered  with  suit- 
able material  for  protection  from  being  frozen.  On 
top  of  any  arch,  lintel  or  other  device  which  does  not 
extend  to  and  form  a  horizontal  line  with  the  top  of 
the  said  floor  beams,  cinder  concrete  or  other  suit- 
able fireproof  material  shall  be  placed  to  solidly  fill 
up  the  space  to  a  level  with  the  top  of  the  said  floor 
beams,  and  shall  be  carried  to  the  under  side  of  the 
wood  floor  boards  in  case  such  be  used..  Temporary 
centering  when  used  in  placing  fireproof  systems  be- 
tween floor  beams,  shall  not  be  removed  within  twenty- 
four  hours  or  until  such  time  as  the  mortar  or  ma- 
terial has  set.  All  fireproof  floor  systems  shall  be  of 
sufficient  strength  to  safely  carry  the  load  to  be  im- 
posed thereon  without  straining  the  material  in  any 
case  beyond  its  safe  working  load.  The  bottom  flanges  of 


83 

all  wrought  iron  or  rolled  steel  floor  and  flat  roof  beams, 
and  all  exposed  portions  of  such  beams  below  the  abut- 
ments of  the  floor  arches  shall  be  entirely  incased  with 
hard-burnt  clay,  porous  terra-cotta  or  other  fireproof 
material  allowed  to  be  used  for  the  filling  between 
the  beams  under  the  provisions  of  this  section,  such  in- 
casing material  to  be  properly  secured  to  the  beams. 

The  exposed  sides  and  bottom  plates  or  flanges  of 
wrought  iron  or  rolled  steel  girders  supporting  iron 
or  steel  floor  beams,  or  supporting  floor  arches  or 
floors,  shall  be  entirely  incased  in  the  same  manner. 
Openings  through  fireproof  floors  for  pipes,  conduits 
and  similar  purposes  shall  be  shown  on  the  plans. 
After  the  floors  are  constructed  no  opening  greater 
than  eight  inches  square  shall  be  cut  through  said 
floors  unless  properly  boxed  or  framed  around  with 
iron.  And  such  openings  shall  be  filled  in  with  fire- 
proof material  after  the  pipes  or  conduits  are  in  place. 

Sec.  107. — Incasing  Interior  Columns.  All  cast  iron, 
wrought  iron  or  rolled  steel  columns,  including  the 
lugs  and  brackets  on  same,  used  in  the  interior  of  any 
fireproof  building,  or  used  to  support  any  fireproof 
floor,  shall  be  protected  with  not  less  than  two  inches 
of  fireproof  material,  securely  applied.  The  extreme 
outer  edge  of  lugs,  brackets  and  similar  supporting 
metal  may  project  to  within  seven-eighths  of  an  inch 
of  the  surface  of  the  fireproofing. 


84 


PART  XXI. 

PUBLIC  BUILDINGS,  THEATRES  AND  Pi  ACES  OF 
ASSEMBLAGE. 

Sec.  108. — Public  Buildings.  In  all  buildings  of  a 
public  character,  such  as  hotels,  churches,  theatres, 
restaurants,  railroad  depots,  public  halls,  and  other 
buildings  used  or  intended  to  be  used  for  purposes  of 
public  assembly,  amusement  or  instruction,  and  in- 
cluding department  stores  and  other  business  and 
manufacturing  buildings  where  large  numbers  of  peo- 
ple are  congregated,  the  halls,  doors,  stairways,  seats,  ( 
passageways  and  aisles,  and  all  lighting  and  heating 
appliances  and  apparatus  shall  be  arranged  as  the  De- 
partment of  Buildings  shall  direct  to  facilitate  egress 
in  cases  of  fire  or  accident,  and  to  afford  the  requisite 
and  proper  accommodation  for  the  public  protection  in 
such  cases.  All  aisles  and  passageways  in  said  build- 
ings shall  be  kept  free  from  camp  stools,  chairs,  sofas 
and  other  obstructions,  and  no  person  shall  be  allowed 
to  stand  in  or  occupy  any  of  said  aisles  or  passage- 
ways, during  any  performance,  service,  exhibition,  lec- 
ture, concert,  ball  or  any  public  assemblage.  The 
Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction  may  at 
any  time  serve  a  written  or  printed  notice  upon  the 
owner,  lessee  or  manager  of  any  of  said  buildings, 
directing  any  act  or  thing  to  be  done  or  provided  in 
or  about  the  said  buildings  and  the  several  appliances 
therewith  connected,  such  as  halls,  doors,  stairs,  win- 
dows, seats,  aisles,  fire-walls,  fire  apparatus  and  fire- 
escapes,  as  he  may  deem  necessary.  Nothing  herein 
contained  shall  be  construed  to  authorize  or  require 
any  other  alterations  to  theatres  existing  prior  to  June 
9,  1885,  than  are  specified  in  this  section. 


85 

Sec.  109. — Theatres  and  Places  of  Public  Amusement. 
Every  theatre  or  opera-house,  or  other  building  in- 
tended to  be  used  for  theatrical  or  operatic  purposes,  or 
for  public  entertainments  of  any  kind  hereafter  erected, 
for  the  accommodation  of  more  than  three  hundred 
persons,  shall  be  built  to  comply  with  the  requirements 
of  this  section.  No  building  which,  aj:  the  time  of  the 
passage  of  this  Code,  is  not  in  actual  use  for  theatrical 
or  operatic  purposes,  and  no  building  hereafter  erected 
not  in  conformity  with  the  requirements  of  this  sec- 
tion, shall  be  used  for  theatrical  or  operatic  purposes, 
or  for  public  entertainments  of  any  kind  until  the 
same  shall  have  been  made  to  conform  to  the  require- 
ments of  this  section.  And  no  building  hereinbefore 
described  shall  be  opened  to  the  public  for  theatrical 
or  operatic  purposes,  or  for  public  entertainments  of 
any  kind  until  the  Department  of  Buildings  shall  have 
approved  the  same  in  writing  as  conforming  to  the 
requirements  of  this  section.  Every  such  building 
shall  have  at  least  one  front  on  the  street,  and  in  such 
front  there  shall  be  suitable  means  of  entrance  and 
exit  for  the  audience.  In  addition  to  the  aforesaid  en- 
trances and  exits  on  the  street,  there  shall  be  reserved 
for  service  in  case  of  an  emergency,  an  open  court  or 
space  on  the  side  not  bordering  on  the  street,  where 
said  building  is  located  on  a  corner  lot;  and  on  both 
sides  of  said  building,  where  there  is  but  one  frontage 
on  the  street.  The  width  of  such  open  court  or  courts 
shall  be  not  less  than  seven  feet  where  the  seating 
capacity  is  not  over  one  thousand  people,  above  one 
thousand  and  not  more  than  eighteen  hundred  people, 
eight  feet  in  width,  and  above  eighteen  hundred  people, 
ten  feet  in  width.  Said  open  court  or  courts  shall 
begin  on  a  line  with  or  near  the  proscenium  wall  and 


86 

shall  extend  the  length  of  the  auditorium  proper,  to 
or  near  the  wall  separating  the  same  from  the  entrance 
lobby  or  vestibule.  A  separate  and  distinct  corridor 
shall  continue  to  the  street,  from  each  open  court 
through  such  superstructure  as  may  be  built  on  the 
street  side  of  the  auditorium,  with  continuous 'walls  of 
brick  or  fireproof  materials  on  each  side  the  entire 
length  of  said  corridor  or  corridors,  and  the  ceiling 
and  floors  shall  be  fireproof.  Said  corridor  or  cor- 
ridors shall  not  be  reduced  in  width  to  more  than  three 
feet  less  than  the  width  of  the  open  court  or  courts,  and 
there  shall  be  no  projection  in  the  same;  the  outer 
openings  to  be  provided  with  doors  or  gates  opening 
toward  the  street.  During  the  performance  the  doors 
or  gates  in  the  corridors  shall  be  kept  open  by  proper 
fastenings ;  at  other  times  they  may  be  closed  and 
fastened  by  movable  bolts  or  locks.  The  said  open 
courts  and  corridors  shall  not  be  used  for  storage 
purposes,  or  for  any  purpose  whatsoever  except  for 
exit  and  entrance  from  and  to  the  auditorium  and 
stage,  and  must  be  kept  free  and  clear  during  perform- 
ances. The  level  of  said  corridors  at  the  front  entrance 
to  the  building  shall  be  not  greater  than  one  step  above 
the  level  of  the  sidewalk  where  they  begin  at  the  street 
entrance.  The  entrance  of  the  main  front  of  the  build- 
ing shall  be  not  on  a  higher  level  from  the  sidewalk 
than  four  steps,  unless  approved  by  the  Department  of 
Buildings.  To  overcome  any  difference  of  level  in 
and  between  courts,  corridors,  lobbies,  passages  and 
aisles  on  the  ground  floor,  gradients  shall  be  employed 
of  not  over  one  foot  in  twelve  feet  with  no  perpendicu- 
lar rises.  From  the  auditorium  opening  into  the  said 
open  courts  or  on  the  side  street,  there  shall  be  not 
less  than  two  exits  on  each  side  in  each  tier  from  and 


8? 

including  the  parquet  and  each  and  every  gallery.  Each 
exit  shall  be  at  least  five  feet  in  width  in  the  clear  and 
provided  with  doors  of  iron  or  wood;  if  of  wood,  the 
doors  shall  be  constructed  as  hereinbefore  in  this  Code 
described.  All  of  said  doors  shall  open  outwardly, 
and  shall  be  fastened  with  movable  bolts,  the  bolts  to 
be  kept  drawn  during  performances.  There  shall  be 
balconies  not  less  than  four  feet  in  width  in  the  said 
open  court  or  courts  at  each  level  or  tier  above  the 
parquet,  on  each  side  of  the  auditorium,  of  sufficient 
length  to  embrace  the  two  exits,  and  from  said  bal- 
conies there  shall  be  staircases  extending  to  the  ground 
level,  with  a  rise  of  not  over  eight  and  one-half  inches 
to  a  step,  and  not  less  than  nine  inches  tread  ex- 
clusive of  the  nosing.  The  staircase  from  the  upper 
balcony  to  the  next  below  shall  be  not  less  than  thirty- 
six  inches  in  width  in  the  clear,  and  from  the  first 
balcony  to  the  groun'd  three  feet  in  width  in  the  clear 
where  the  seating  capacity  of  the  auditorium  is  for  one 
thousand  people  or  less,  three  feet  and  six  inches  in 
the  clear  where  above  one  thousand  and  not  more  than 
eighteen  hundred  people,  and  four  feet  in  the  clear 
where  above  eighteen  hundrd  people  and  not  more 
than  twenty-five  hundred  people,  and  not  over  four 
feet  six  inches  in  the  clear  where  above  twenty-five 
hundred  people.  All  the  before-mentioned  balconies 
and  staircases  shall  be  constructed  of  iron  throughout, 
including  the  floors,  and  of  ample  strength  to  sustain 
the  load  to  be  carried  by  them,  and  they  shall  be 
covered  with  a  metal  hood  or  awning,  to  be  constructed 
in  such  manner  as  shall  be  approved  by  the  Depart- 
ment of  Buildings.  Where  one  side  of  the  building 
borders  on  the  street,  there  shall  be  balconies  and  stair- 
cases of  like  capacity  and  kind,  as  before  mentioned, 


88 

carried  to  the  ground.  When  located  on  a  corner  lot 
that  portion  of  the  premises  bordering  on  the  side 
street  and  not  required  for  the  uses  of  the  theatre 
may,  if  such  portion  be  not  more  than  twenty-five  feet 
in  width,  be  used  for  offices,  stores  or  apartments,  pro- 
vided the  walls  separating  this  portion  from  the  theatre 
proper  are  carried  up  solidly  to  and  through  the  roof, 
and  that  a  fireproof  exit  is  provided  for  the  theatre, 
on  each  tier,  equal  to  the  combined  width  of  exits 
opening  on  opposite  sides  in  each  tier,  communi- 
cating with  balconies  and  staircases  leading  to  the 
street  in  manner  provided  elsewhere  in  this  section; 
said  exit  passages  shall  be  entirely  cut  off  by  brick 
walls  from  said  offices,  stores  or  apartments,  and  the 
floors  and  ceilings  in  each  tier  shall  be  fireproof. 
Nothing  herein  contained  shall  prevent  a  roof  garden, 
art  gallery,  or  rooms  for  similar  purposes  being  placed 
above  a  theatre  or  public  building,  provided  the  floor 
of  the  same  forming  the  roof  over  such  theatre  or 
building  shall  be  constructed  of  iron  or  steel  and  fire- 
proof materials,  and  that  said  floor  shall  have  no  cover- 
ing boards  or  sleepers  of  wood,  but  be  of  tile  or 
cement.  Every  roof  over  said  garden  or  rooms  shall 
have  all  supports  and  rafters  of  iron  or  steel,  and  be 
covered  with  glass  or  fireproof  materials,  or  both,  but 
no  such  roof  garden,  art  gallery  or  room  for  any  public 
purpose  shall  be  placed  over  or  above  that  portion  of 
any  theatre  or  other  building  which  is  used  as  a 
stage.  No  workshop,  storage  or  general  property 
room  shall  be  allowed  above  the  auditorium  or  stage, 
or  under  the  same,  or  in  any  of  the  fly  galleries.  All 
of  said  rooms  or  shops  may  be  located  in  the  rear  or  at 
the  side  of  the  stage,  but  in  such  cases  they  shall  be 
separated  from  the  stage  by  a  brick  wall,  and  the  open- 


39 

ings  leading  into  said  portions  shall  have  fireproof 
doors  on  each  side  of  the  openings,  hung  to  iron  eyes 
built  into  the  wall.  No  portion  of  any  building  here- 
after erected  or  altered,  used  or  intended  to  be  used 
for  theatrical  or  other  purposes  as  in  this  section  speci- 
fied, shall  be  occupied  or  used  as  a  hotel,  boarding  or 
lodging  house,  factory,  workshop  or  manufactory,  or 
for  storage  purposes,  except  as  may  be  hereafter  special- 
ly provided  for.  Said  restriction  relates  not  only  to 
that  portion  of  the  building  which  contains  the  audi- 
torium and  the  stage,  but  applies  also  to  the  entire 
structure  in  conjunction  therewith.  No  store  or  room 
contained  in  the  building,  or  the  ofHces,  stores  or  apart- 
ments adjoining,  as  aforesaid,  shall  be  let  or  used  for 
carrying  on  any  business  dealing  in  articles  designated  as 
specially  hazardous  in  the  classification  of  the  New 
York  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  or  for  manufactur- 
ing purposes.  No  lodging  accommodations  shall  be 
allowed  in  any  part  of  the  building  communicating 
with  the  auditorium.  Interior  walls  built  of  fireproof 
materials  shall  separate  the  auditorium  from  the  en- 
trance vestibule,  and  from  any  room  or  rooms  over  the 
same,  also  from  any  lobbies,  corridors,  refresh- 
ment or  other  rooms.  All  staircases  for  the 
use  of  the  audience  shall  be  inclosed  with  walls  of  brick, 
or  of  fireproof  materials  approved  by  the  Department  of 
Buildings,  in  the  stories  through  which  they  pass,  and 
the  openings  to  said  staircases  from  each  tier  shall  be 
the  full  width  of  said  staircase.  No  door  shall  open 
immediately  upon  a  flight  of  stairs,  but  a  landing  at 
least  the  width  of  the  door  shall  be  provided  between 
such  stairs  and  such  door.  A  fire-wall,  built  of  brick,  shall 
separate  the  auditorium  from  the  stage,  and  the  same 
shall  extend  at  least  four  feet  above  the  stage  roof,  or 


go 

the  auditorium  roof,  if  the  latter  be  the  higher,  and  shall 
be  coped.  Above  the  proscenium  opening  there  shall 
be  an  iron  girder  of  sufficient  strength  to  safely  support 
the  load  above  and  the  same  shall  be  covered  with  fire- 
proof materials  to  protect  it  from  the  heat.  Should 
there  be  constructed  an  orchestra  over  the  stage,  above 
the  proscenium  opening,  the  said  orchestra  shall 
be  placed  on  the  auditorium  side  of  the  pro- 
scenium fire-wall,  and  shall  be  entered  only  from 
the  auditorium  side  of  said  wall.  The  moulded  frame 
around  the  proscenium  opening  shall  be  formed  entirely 
of  fireproof  materials:  if  metal  be  used  the  metal  shall 
be  filled  in  solid  with  non-combustible  material  and 
securely  anchored  to  the  wall  with  iron.  The  prosce- 
nium opening  shall  be  provided  with  a  fireproof  metal 
curtain,  or  a  curtain  of  asbestos,  or  other  fireproof 
material  approved  by  the  Department  of  Buildings, 
sliding  at  each  end  within  iron  grooves,  securely  fas- 
tened to  the  brick  wall,  and  extending  into  such  grooves, 
to  a  depth  of  not  less  than  six  inches  on  each  side  of  the 
opening.  Said  fireproof  curtain  shall  be  raised  at  the 
commencement  of  each  performance  and  lowered  at 
the  close  of  said  performance,  and  be  operated  by  ap- 
proved machinery  for  that  purpose.  The  proscenium 
curtains  shall  be  placed  at  least  three  feet  distant  from 
the  footlights  at  the  nearest  point.  No  doorway  or 
opening  through  the  proscenium  wall,  from  the  audito- 
rium, shall  be  allowed  above  the  level  of  the  first  floor 
and  such  first  floor  openings  shall  have  fireproof  doors 
on  each  face  of  the  wall,  and  the  doors  shall  be  hung 
so  as  to  be  opened  from  either  side  at  all  times.  There 
shall  be  provided  over  the  stage,  metal  sky-lights  of  an 
area  or  combined  area  of  at  least  one-eighth  the  area 
of  said  stage,  fitted  up  with  sliding  sash  and  glazed 


with  double-thick  sheet  glass  not ,  exceeding  one- 
twelfth  of  an  inch  thick,  and  each  pane  thereof  meas- 
uring not  less  than  three  hundred  square  inches,  and 
the  whole  of  which  sky-light  shall  be  so  constructed  as 
to  open  instantly  on  the  cutting  or  burning  of  a  hempen 
cord,  which  shall  be  arranged  to  hold  said  sky-lights 
closed,  or  some  other  equally  simple  approved  device 
for  opening  them  may  be  provided.  Immediately  un- 
derneath the  glass  of  said  sky-lights  there  shall  be  wire 
netting,  but  wire  glass  shall  not  be  used  in  lieu  of  this 
requirement.  All  that  portion  of  the  stage  not  com- 
prised in  the  working  of  scenery,  traps  and  other 
mechanical  apparatus,  for  the  presentation  of  a  scene, 
usually  equal  to  the  width  of  the  proscenium  opening, 
shall  be  built  of  iron  or  steel  beams  filled  in  between 
with  fireproof  material,  and  all  girders  for  the  support 
of  said  beams  shall  be  of  wrought  iron  or  rolled  steel. 
The  fly-galleries  entire,  including  pin-rails,  shall  be 
constructed  of  iron  or  steel,  and  the  floors  of  said  gal- 
leries  shall  be  composed  of  iron  or  steel  beams,  "filled 
with  fireproof  materials,  and  no  wood  boards  or  sleepers 
shall  be  used  as  covering  over  beams,  but  the  said  floors 
shall  be  entirely  fireproof.  The  rigging  loft  shall  be 
fireproof.  All  stage  scenery,  curtains  and  decorations 
made  of  combustible  material,  and  all  woodwork  on  or 
about  the  stage,  shall  be  painted  or  saturated  with 
some  non-combustible  material,  or  otherwise  rendered 
safe  against  fire,  and  the  finishing  coats  of  paint  ap- 
plied to  all  woodwork  throughout  the  entire  building 
shall  be  of  such  kind  as  will  resist  fire  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  the  Department  of  Buildings.  The  roof  over 
the  auditorium  and  the  entire  main  floor  of  the  audi- 
torium and  vestibule,  also  the  entire  floor  of  the  second 
story  of  the  front  superstructure  over  the  entrance,  lobby 


92 

and  corridors,  and  all  galleries  and  supports  for  the 
same  in  the  auditorium  shall  be  constructed  of  iron  or 
steel  and  fireproof  materials,  not  excluding  the  use  of 
wood  floor  boards  and  necessary  sleepers  to  fasten  the 
same  to,  but  such  sleepers  shall  not  mean  timbers  of 
support,  and  the  space  between  the  sleepers,  excepting 
the  portion  under  the  stepping  in  the  galleries,  which 
shall  be  properly  fire-stopped,  shall  be  solidly  filled 
with  incombustible  material  up  to  the  under  side  of  the 
floor  boards.  The  fronts  of  each  gallery  shall  be  formed 
oj  fireproof  materials,  except  the  capping,  which  may 
be  made  of  wood.  The  ceiling  under  each  gallery  shall 
be  entirely  formed  of  fireproof  materials.  The  ceiling 
of  the  auditorium  shall  be  formed  of  fireproof  ma- 
terials. All  lathing,  whenever  used,  shall  be  of  wire 
or  other  metal.  The  partitions  in  that  portion  of  the 
building  which  contains  the  auditorium,  the  entrance 
and  vestibule  and  every  room  and  passage  devoted  to 
the  use  of  the  audience,  shall  be  constructed  of  fire- 
proof materials,  including  the  furring  of  outside  or 
other  walls.  None  of  the  walls  or  ceilings  shall  be 
covered  with  wood  sheathing,  canvas,  or  any  combus- 
tible material.  But  this  shall  not  exclude  the  use  of 
wood  wainscoting  to  a  height  not  to  exceed  six  feet, 
which  shall  be  filled  in  solid  between  the  wainscoting 
and  the  wall  with  fireproof  materials.  The  walls 
separating  the  actors''  dressing  rooms  from  the  stage, 
and  the  partitions  dividing  the  dressing  rooms,  to- 
gether with  the  partitions  of  every  passageway  from 
the  same  to  the  stage  and  all  other  partitions  on  or 
about  the  stage  shall  be  constructed  of  fireproof  material 
approved  by  the  Department  of  Buildings.  All  doors 
in  any  of  said  partitions  shall  be  fireproof.  All  shelving 
and  cupboards  in  each  and  every  dressing  room,  prop- 


93 

erty  room  or  other  storage  rooms,  shall  be  constructed 
of  metal,  slate  or  some  fireproof  material.  Dressing 
rooms  may  be  placed  in  the  fly-galleries,  provided  that 
proper  exits  are  secured  therefrom  to  the  fire-escapes 
in  the  open  courts,  and  that  the  partitions  and  other 
matters  pertaining  to  dressing  rooms  shall  conform 
to  the  requirements  herein  contained,  but  the  stairs  lead- 
ing to  the  same  shall  be  fireproof.  All  dressing  rooms 
shall  have  an  independent  exit  leading  directly  into  a 
court  or  street,  and  shall  be  ventilated  by  windows  in 
the  external  wall;  and  no  dressing  room  shall  be  more 
than  one  story  below  street  level.  All  windows  shall 
be  arranged  to  open,  and  none  of  the  windows  in 
outside  walls  shall  have  fixed  sashes,  iron  grills  or  bars. 
All  seats  in  the  auditorium  excepting  those  contained 
in  boxes,  shall  be  not  less  than  thirty-two  inches  from 
back  to  back,  measured  in  a  horizontal  direction,  and 
firmly  secured  to  the  floor.  No  seat  in  the  auditorium 
shall  have  more  than  six  seats  intervening  between  it 
and  an  aisle,  on  either  side.  No  stool  or  seat  shall  be 
placed  in  any  aisle.  All  platforms  in  galleries  formed 
to  receive  the  seats  shall  be  not  more  than  twenty-one 
inches  in  height  of  riser,  nor  less  than  thirty-two  inches 
in  width  of  platform.  All  aisles  on  the  respective  floors 
in  the  auditorium,  having  seats  on  both  sides  of  same, 
shall  be  not  less  than  three  feet  wide  where  they  begin, 
and  shall  be  increased  in  width  towards  the  exits  in  the 
ratio  of  one  and  one-half  inches  to  five  running  feet. 
Aisles  having  seats  on  one  side  only,  shall  be  not  less 
than  two  feet  wide  at  their  beginning  and  increased  in 
width  the  same  as  aisles  having  seats  on  both  sides. 
The  aggregate  capacity  of  the  foyers,  lobbies,  corridors, 
passages  and  rooms  for  the  use  of  the  audience,  not 
including  aisle  space  between  seats  shall,  on  each 


94 

floor  or  gallery,  be  sufficient  to  contain  the  entire  num- 
ber to  be  accommodated  on  said  floor  or  gallery,  in  the 
ratio  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  superficial  feet  of  floor 
room  for  every  one  hundred  persons.  Gradients  or 
inclined  planes  shall  be  employed  instead  of  steps  where 
possible  to  overcome  slight  difference  of  level  in  or  be- 
tween aisles,  corridors  and  passages.  Every  theatre 
accommodating  three  hundred  persons  shall  have  at 
least  two  exits;  when  accommodating  five  hundred 
persons,  at  least  three  exits  shall  be  provided;  these 
exits  not  referring  to  or  including  the  exits  to  the  open 
court  at  the  side  of  the  theatre.  Doorways  of  exit  or 
entrance  for  the  use  of  the  public  shall  be  not  less  than 
five  feet  in  width,  and  for  every  additional  one  hundred 
persons  or  portions  thereof  to  be  accommodated,  in 
excess  of  five  hundred,  an  aggregate  of  twenty  inches 
additional  exit  width  must  be  allowed.  All  doors  of 
exit  or  entrance-  shall  open  outwardly  and  be  hung  to 
swing  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  become  an  ob- 
struction in  a  passage  or  corridor,  arid  no  such  doors 
shall  be  closed  and  locked  during  any  representation, 
or  when  the  building  is  open  to  the  public.  Distinct 
and  separate  places  of  exit  and  entrance  shall  be  pro- 
vided for  each  gallery  above  the  first.  A  common  place 
of  exit  and  entrance  may  serve  for  the  main  floor  of 
the  auditorium  and  the  first  gallery,  provided  its 
capacity  be  equal  to  the  aggregate  capacity  of  the  out- 
lets from  the  main  floor  and  the  said  gallery.  No  pas- 
sage leading  to  any  stairway  communicating  with  any 
entrance  or  exit  shall  be  less  than  four  feet  in  width 
in  any  part  thereof.  All  stairs  within  the  building 
shall  be  constructed  of  fireproof  material  throughout. 
Stairs  from  balconies  and  galleries  shall  not 
communicate  with  the  basement  or  cellar.  All 
stairs  shall  have  treads  of  uniform  width  and  risers 


95 

of  uniform  height  throughout  in  each  flight.  Stairways 
serving  for  the  exit  of  fifty  people  shall  be  at  least  four 
feet  wide,  between  railings,  or  between  walls,  and  for 
every  additional  fifty  people  to  be  accommodated  six 
inches  must  be  added  to  their  width.  The  width  of  all 
stairs  shall  be  measured  in  the  clear  between  handrails. 
In  no  case  shall  the  risers  of  any  stairs  exceed  seven 
and  a  half  inches  in  height,  nor  shall  the  treads,  ex- 
clusive of  nosings,  be  less  than  ten  and  one-half  inches 
wide  in  straight  stairs.  No  circular  or  winding  stairs 
for  the  use  of  the  public  shall  be  permitted.  Where  the 
seating  capacity  is  for  more  than  one  thousand  people, 
there  shall  be  at  least  two  independent  staircases,  with 
direct  exterior  outlets,  provided  for  each  gallery  in  the 
auditorium,  where  there  are  not  more  than  two  galleries, 
and  the  same  shall  be  located  on  opposite  sides  of  said 
galleries.  Where  there  are  more  than  two  galleries 
one  or  more  additional  staircases  shall  be  provided,  the 
outlets  from  which  shall  communicate  directly  with 
the  principal  exit  or  other  exterior  outlets.  All  said 
staircases  shall  be  of  width  proportionate  to  the  seating 
capacity  as  elsewhere  herein  prescribed.  Where  the 
seating  capacity  is  for  one  thousand  people,  or  less,  two 
direct  lines  of  staircases  only  shall  be  required,  located 
on  opposite  sides  of  the  galleries,  and  in  both  cases  shall 
extend  from  the  sidewalk  level  to  the  upper  gallery, 
with  outlets  from  each  gallery  to  each  of  said  staircases. 
At  least  two  independent  staircases,  with  direct  exterior 
outlets,  shall  also  be  provided  for  the  service  of  the 
stage  and  shall  be  located  on  the  opposite  sides  of  the 
same.  All  inside  stairways  leading  to  the  upper  gal- 
leries of  the  auditorium  shall  be  inclosed  on  both  sides 
with  walls  of  fireproof  materials.  Stairs  leading  to 
the  first  or  lower  gallery  may  be  left  open  on  one  side 


96 

in  which  case  they  shall  be  constructed  as  herein  pro- 
vided for  similar  stairs  leading  from  the  entrance  hall 
to  the  main  floor  of  the  auditorium.  But  in  no  case 
shall  stairs  leading  to  any  gallery  be  left  open  on  both 
sides.  When  straight  stairs  return  directly  on  them- 
selves, a  landing  of  the  full  width  of  both  flights,  with- 
out any  steps  shall  be  provided.  The  outer  line  of 
landings  shall  be  curved  to  a  radius  of  not  less  than  two 
feet,  to  avoid  square  angles.  Stairs  turning  at  an  angle 
shall  have  a  proper  landing  without  winders  introduced 
at  said  turn.  In  stairs,  when  two  side  flights  connect 
with  one  main  flight,  no  winders  shall  be  introduced, 
and  the  width  of  the  main  flight  shall  be  at  least  equal 
to  the  aggregate  width  of  the  side  flights.  All  stairs 
shall  have  proper  landings  introduced  at  convenient 
distances.  All  inclosed  staircases  shall  have,  on  both 
sides,  strong  hand-rails  firmly  secured  to  the  wall  about 
three  inches  distant  therefrom  and  about  three  feet 
above  the  stairs,  but  said  hand-rails  shall  not  run  on 
level  platforms  and  landings  where  the  same  is  more 
in  length  than  the  width  of  the  stairs.  All  staircases 
eight  feet  and  over  in  width  shall  be  provided  with  a 
centre  hand-rail  of  metal,  not  less  than  two  inches  in 
diameter,  placed  at  a  height  of  about  three  feet  above 
the  centre  of  the  treads,  and  supported  on  wrought 
metal  or  brass  standards  of  sufficient  strength,  placed 
not  nearer  than  four  feet  nor  more  than  six  feet  apart, 
and  securely  bolted  to  the  treads  or  risers  of  stairs, 
or  both,  and  at  the  head  of  each  flight  of  stairs,  on  each 
landing,  ihe  post  or  standard  shall  be  at  least  six  feet 
in  height,  to  which  the  rail  shall  be  secured.  Every 
steam  boiler  which  may  be  required  for  heating  or 
other  purposes  shall  be  located  outside  of  the  building, 
and  the  space  allotted  to  the  same  shall  be  inclosed  by 


97 

walls  of  masonry  on  all  sides,  and  the  ceiling  of  such 
space  shall  be  constructed  of  fireproof  materials.  All 
doorways  in  said  walls  shall  have  fireproof  doors.  No 
floor  register  for  heating  shall  be  permitted.  No  coil 
or  radiator  shall  be  placed  in  any  aisle  or  passageway 
used  as  an  exit;  but  all  said  coils  and  radiators 
shall  be  placed  in  recesses  formed  in  the  wall 
or  partition  to  receive  the  same.  All  supply,  re- 
turn or  exhaust  pipes  shall  be  properly  incased  and 
protected  where  passing  through  floors  or  near  wood- 
work. Stand-pipes  four  inches  in  diameter  shall  be  pro- 
vided with  hose  attachments  on  every  floor  and  gallery, 
as  follows,  namely:  One  on  each  side  of  the  audito- 
rium in  each  tier,  also  on  each  side  of  the  stage  in  each 
tier,  and  at  least  one  in  the  property-room  and  one  in 
the  carpenter's  shop,  if  the  same  be  contiguous  to  the 
building.  All  such  stand-pipes  shall  be  kept  clear  from 
obstruction.  Said  stand-pipes  shall  be  separate  and 
distinct,  receiving  their  supply  of  water  direct  from  the 
power  pump  or  pumps,  and  shall  be  fitted  with  the 
regulation  couplings  of  the  Fire  Department,  and  shall 
be  kept  constantly  filled  with  water  by  means  of  an 
automatic  power  pump  or  pumps,  of  sufficient  capacity 
to  supply  all  the  lines  of  hose  when  operated  simul- 
taneously; and  said  pump  or  pumps  shall  be  supplied 
from  the  street  main  and  be  ready  for  immediate  use 
at  all  times  during  a 'performance  in  said  building.  In 
addition  to  the  requirements  contained  in  this  section, 
the  stand-pipes  shall  also  conform  to  the  requirements 
contained  in  section  102  of  this  Code.  A  separate  and 
distinct  system  of  automatic  sprinklers,  with  fusible 
plugs  approved  by  the  Department  of  Buildings  sup- 
plied with  water  from  a  tank  located  on  the  roof  over 
the  stage  and  not  connected  in  any  manner  with  the 


gtf 

stand-pipes,  shall  be  placed  each  side  of  the  proscenium 
opening  and  on  the  ceiling  or  roof  over  the  stage  at 
such  intervals  as  will  protect  every  square  foot  of  stage 
surface  when  said  sprinklers  are  in  operation.  Auto- 
matic sprinklers  shall  also  be  placed,  wherever  prac- 
ticable, in  the  dressing-rooms,  under  the  stage  and  in 
the  carpenter  shop,  paint-rooms,  store-rooms  and 
property-rooms.  A  proper  and  sufficient  quantity  of 
two  and  one-half  inch  hose  not  less  than  one  hundred 
feet  in  length,  fitted  with  the  regulation  couplings 
of  the  Fire  Department  and  with  nozzles  attached 
thereto,  and  with  hose  spanners  at  each  outlet,  shall 
always  be  kept  attached  to  each  hose  attachment  as  the 
Fire  Commissioner  may  direct.  There  shall  also  be 
kept  in  readiness  for  immediate  use  on  the  stage,  at  least 
four  casks  full  of  water,  and  two  buckets  to  each  cask. 
Said  casks  and  buckets  shall  be  painted  red.  There 
shall  also  be  provided  hand  pumps  or  other  portable 
fire  extinguishing  apparatus  and  at  least  four  axes,  and 
two  twenty-five-feet  hooks,  two  fifteen-feet  hooks,  and 
two  ten-feet  hooks  on  each  tier  or  floor  of  the  stage. 
Every  portion  of  the  building  devoted  to  the  uses  or 
accommodation  of  the  public,  also  all  outlets  leading 
to  the  streets,  and  including  the  open  courts  and  cor- 
ridors, shall  be  well  and  properly  lighted  during  every 
performance,  and  the  same  shall  remain  lighted  unti' 
the  entire  audience  has  left  the  premises.  All  gas  c 
electric  lights  in  the  halls,  corridors,  lobby  or  am 
other  part  of  said  buildings  used  by  the  audience,  ex- 
cept the  auditorium,  must  be  controlled  by  a  separate 
shut-off,  located  in  the  lobby,  and  controlled  only  in 
that  particular  place.  Gas  mains  supplying  the  build- 
ing shall  have  independent  connections  for  the  audi- 
torium and  the  stage,  and  provision  shall  be  made  for 


99 

shutting  off  the  gas  from  the  outside  of  the  building. 
When  interior  gas  lights  are  not  lighted  by  electricity, 
other  suitable  appliances,  to  be  approved  by  the  De- 
partment of  Buildings,  shall  be  provided.  All  suspended 
or  bracket  lights  surrounded  by  glass,  in  the  auditorium, 
or  in  any  part  of  the  building  devoted  to  the  public 
shall  be  provided  with  proper  wire-netting  underneath. 
No  gas  or  electric  light  shall  be  inserted  in  the  walls, 
woodwork,  ceilings,  or  in  any  part  of  the  building  unless 
protected  by  fireproof  materials.  All  lights  in  passages 
and  corridois  in  said  buildings,  and  wherever  deemed 
necessary  by  the  Department  of  Buildings,  shall  be 
protected  with  proper  wire  net-work.  The  foot-lights, 
in  addition  to  the  wire  net-work,  shall  be  protected  with 
a  strong  wire  guard  and  chain,  placed  not  less  than  two 
feet  distant  from  said  foot-lights,  and  the  trough  con- 
taining said  foot-lights  shall  be  formed  of  and  sur- 
rounded by  fireproof  materials.  All  border  lights  shall 
be  constructed  according  to  the  best  known  methods, 
and  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Department  of  Build- 
ings, and  shall  be  suspended  for  ten  feet  by  wire  rope. 
All  ducts  or  shafts  used  for  conducting  heated  air 
from  the  main  chandelier,  or  from  any  other  light  or 
lights,  shall  be  constructed  of  metal  and  made  double, 
with  an  air  space  between.  All  stage  lights  shall  have 
strong  metal  wire  guards  or  screens,  not  less  than  ten 
inches  in  diameter,  so  constructed  that  any  material 
in  contact  therewith  shall  be  out  of  reach  of  the  flames 
of  said  stage  lights,  and  must  be  soldered  to  the  fixture 
in  all  cases.  The  stand-pipes,  gas-pipes,  electric  wires. 
hose,  foot-lights  and  all  apparatus  for  the  extinguish- 
ing of  fire  or  guarding  against  the  same,  as  in  this 
section  specified,  shall  be  in  charge  and  under  control 
of  the  Fire  Department,  and  the  Commissioner  of  said 


Department  is  hereby  directed  to  see  that  the  arrange- 
ments in  respect  thereto  are  carried  out  and  enforced. 
A  diagram  or  plan  of  each  tier,  gallery  or  floor,  show- 
ing distinctly  the  exits  therefrom,  each  occupying  a 
space  not  less  than  fifteen  square  inches,  shall  be  printed 
in  black  lines  in  a  legible  manner  on  the  programme 
of  the  performance.  Every  exit  shall  have  over  the 
same  on  the  inside  the  word  EXIT  painted  in  legible 
letters  not  less  than  eight  inches  high. 


PART  XXII. 

IRON  AND  STEEL  CONSTRUCTION. 

Sec.  no. — Skeleton  Construction.  Where  columns 
are  used  to  support  iron  or  steel  girders  carrying  in- 
closure  walls,  the  said  columns  shall  be  of  cast  iron, 
wrought  iron,  or  rolled  steel,  and  on  their  exposed  outer 
and  inner  surfaces  be  constructed  to  resist  fire  by  hav- 
ing a  casing  of  brickwork  not  less  than  eight  inches  in 
thickness  on  the  outer  surfaces,  nor  less  than  four 
inches  in  thickness  on  the  inner  surfaces,  and  all  bonded 
into  the  brickwork  of  the  inclosure  walls.  The  exposed 
sides  of  the  iron  or  steel  girders  shall  be  similarly 
covered  in  with  brickwork  not  less  than  four  inches 
in  thickness  on  the  outer  surfaces  and  tied  and  bonded, 
but  the  extreme  outer  edge  of  the  flanges  of  beams,  or 
plates  or  angles  connected  to  the  beams,  may  project 
to  within  two  inches  of  the  outside  surface  of  the  brick 
casing.  The  inside  surfaces  of  girders  may  be  similarly 
covered  with  brickwork,  or  if  projecting  inside  of  the 
wall,  they  shall  be  protected  by  terra-cotta,  concrete 
or  other  fireproof  material.  Girders  for  the  support 
of  the  inclosure  walls  shall  be  placed  at  the  floor  line 
of  each  story. 


101 

Sec.  in. — Steel  and  Wrought- -Iron  Columns.  No 
part  of  a  steel  or  wrought  iron  column  shall  be  less  than 
one-quarter  of  an  inch  thick.  No  wrought  iron  or 
rolled  steel  column  shall  have  an  unsupported  length  of 
more  than  forty  times  its  least  lateral  dimension  or  di- 
ameter, except  as  modified  by  section  138  of  this  Code, 
and  also  except  in  such  cases  as  the  Commissioners  of 
Buildings  may  specially  allow  a  greater  unsupported 
length.  The  ends  of  all  columns  shall  be  faced  to  a 
plane  surface  at  right  angles  to  the  axis  of  the  columns 
and  the  connection  between  them  shall  be  made  with 
splice  plates.  The  joint  may  be  effected  by  rivets  of 
sufficient  size  and  number  to  transmit  the  entire  stress, 
and  then  the  splice  plates  shall  be  equal  in  sectional  area 
to  the  area  of  column  spliced.  When  the  section  of  the 
columns  to  be  spliced  is  such  that  spliced  plates  cannot 
be  used,  a  connection  formed  of  plates  and  angles  may 
be  used,  designed  to  properly  distribute  the  stress.  No 
material,  whether  in  the  body  of  the  column  or  used 
as  lattice-bar  or  stay-plate,  shall  be  used  in  any  wrought 
iron  or  steel  column  of  less  thickness  than  one-thirty- 
second  of  its  unsupported  width  measured  between 
centres  of  rivets  transversely,  or  one-sixteenth  the 
distance  between  centres  of  rivets  in  the  direction  of  the 
stress.  Stay-plates  are  to  have  not  less  than  four  rivets, 
and  are  to  be  spaced  so  that  the  ratio  of  length  by  the 
least  radius  of  gyration  of  the  parts  connected  does 
not  exceed  forty;  the  distance  between  nearest  rivets 
of  two  stay-plates  shall  in  this  case  be  considered  as 
length.  Steel  and  wrought  iron  columns  shall  be  made 
in  one,  two  or  three-story  lengths,  and  the  materials 
shall  be  rolled  in  one  length  wherever  practicable  to 
avoid  intermediate  splices.  Where  any  part  of  the 
section  of  a  column  projects  beyond  that  of  the  column 


102 

below,  the  difference  shall  be  made  up  by  filling  plates 
secured  to  column  by  the  proper  number  of  rivets. 
Shoes  of  iron  or  steel,  as  described  for  cast  iron  col- 
umns, or  built  shoes  of  plates  and  shapes  may  be  used, 
complying  with  same  requirements. 

Sec.  112.— Cast  Iron  Columns.  Cast  iron  columns 
shall  not  have  less  diameter  than  five  inches  or  less 
thickness  than  three-quarters  of  an  inch.  Nor  shall 
they  have  an  unsupported  length  of  more  than  twenty 
times  their  least  lateral  dimensions  or  diameter,  ex- 
cept as  modified  by  section  138  of  this  Code,  and  ex- 
cept the  same  may  form  part  of  an  elevator  inclosure 
or  staircase,  and  also  except  in  such  cases  as  the  Com- 
missioner of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction,  may  spe- 
cially allow  a  greater  unsupported  length.  All  cast 
iron  columns  shall  be  of  good  workmanship  and  material. 
The  top  and  bottom  flanges,  seats  and  lugs  shall  be  of 
ample  strength,  reinforced  by  fillets  and  brackets ;  they 
shall  be  not  less  than  one  inch  in  thickness  when 
finished.  All  columns  must  be  faced  at  the  ends  to  a 
true  surface  perpendicular  to  the  axis  of  the  column. 
Column  joints  shall  be  secured  by  not  less  than  four 
bolts  each,  not  less  than  three-quarters  of  an  inch  in 
diameter.  The  holes  for  these  bolts  shall  be  drilled  to 
a  template.  The  core  of  a  column  below  a  joint  shall 
be  not  larger  than  the  core  of  the  column  above  and  the 
metal  shall  be  tapered  down  for  a  distance  of  not  less 
than  six  inches,  or  a  joint  plate  may  be  inserted  of 
sufficient  strength  to  distribute  the  load.  The  thick- 
ness of  metal  shall  be  not  less  than  one-twelfth  the 
diameter  or  the  greatest  lateral  dimension  of  cross 
section,  but  never  less  than  three-quarters  of  an-  inch. 
Wherever  the  core  of  a  cast  iron  column  has  shifted 
more  than  one-fourth  the  thickness  of  the  shell,  the 


103 

strength  shall  be  computed  assuming  the  thickness  of 
metal  all  around  equal  to  the  thinnest  part,  and  the 
column  shall  be  condemned  if  this  computation  shows 
the  strength  to  be  less  than  required  by  this  Code. 
Wherever  blowholes  or  imperfections  are  found  in  a 
cast  iron  column  which  reduces  the  area  of  the  cross- 
section  at  that  point  more  than  ten  per  cent.,  such  col- 
umn shall  be  condemned.  Cast  iron  posts  or  columns 
not  cast  with  one  open  side  or  back,  before  being  set 
up  in  place,  shall  have  a  three-eighths  of  an  inch  hole 
drilled  in  the  shaft  of  each  post  or  column,  by  the 
manufacturer  or  contractor  furnishing  the  same,  to 
exhibit  the  thickness  of  the  castings;  and  any  other 
similar  sized  hole  or  holes  which  the  Commissioners  of 
Buildings  may  require,  shall  be  drilled  in  the  said 
posts  or  columns  by  the  said  manufacturer  or  contractor 
at  his  own  expense. 

Iron  or  steel  shoes  or  plates  shall  be  used  under  the 
bottom  tier  of  columns  to  properly  distribute  the  load 
on  the  foundation.  Shoes  shall  be  planed  on  top. 

Sec.  113. — Double  Columns.  In  all  buildings  here- 
after erected  or  altered,  where  any  iron  or  steel  col- 
umn or  columns  are  used  to  support  a  wall  or  part 
thereof,  whether  the  same  be  an  exterior  or  an  interior 
wall,  and  columns  located  below  the  level  of  the  side- 
walk which  are  used  to  support  exterior  walls  or  arches 
over  vaults,  the  said  column  or  columns  shall  be  either 
constructed  double,  that  is,  an  outer  and  an  inner 
column,  the  inner  column  alone  to  be  of  sufficient 
strength  to  sustain  safely  the  weight  to  be  imposed 
thereon,  and  the*  outer  columns  shall  be  one  inch  shorter 
than  the  inner  columns,  or  such  other  iron  or  steel  col- 
umn of  sufficient  strength  and  protected  with  not  les? 
than  two  inches  of  fireproof  material  securely  applied. 


IO4 

except  that  double  or  protected  columns  shall  not  be 
required  for  walls  fronting  on  streets  or  courts. 

Sec.  114. — Party  Wall  Posts.  If  iron  or  steel  posts 
are  to  be  used  as  party  posts  in  front  of  a  party  wall, 
and  intended  for  two  buildings,  then  the  said  posts 
shall  be  not  less  in  width  than  the  thickness  of  the 
party  wall,  nor  less  in  depth  than  the  thickness  of  the 
wall  to  be  supported  above.  Iron  or  steel  posts  in 
front  of  side,  division  or  party  walls,  shall  be  filled  up 
solid  with  masonry  and  made  perfectly  tight  between  the 
posts  and  walls.  Intermediate  posts  may  be  used,  which 
shall  be  sufficiently  strong,  and  the  lintels  thereon  shall 
have  sufficient  bearings  to  carry  the  weight  above  with 
safety. 

Sec.  115. — Plates  Between  Joints  of  Open  Back  Col- 
umns. Iron  or  steel  posts  or  columns  with  one  or 
more  open  sides  and  backs  shall  have  solid  iron  plates 
on  top  of  each,  excepting  where  pierced  for  the  passage 
of  pipes. 

Sec.  116. — Steel  and  Iron  Girders.  Rivets  in  flanges 
shall  be  spaced  so  that  the  least  value  of  a  rivet  for 
either  shear  or  bearing  is  equal  or  greater  than  the  in- 
crement of  strain  due  to  the  distance  between  adjoin- 
ing rivets.  AD  other  rules  given  under  riveting  shall 
be  followed.  The  length  of  rivets  between  heads  shall 
be  limited  to  four  times  the  diameter.  The  compression 
flange  of  plate  girders  shall  be  secured  against  buckling, 
if  its  length  exceeds  thirty  times  its  width.  If  splices 
are  used,  they  shall  fully  make  good  the  members 
spliced  in  either  tension  or  compression.  Stiffeners 
shall  be  provided  over  supports  and  under  concentrated 
loads;  they  shall  be  of  sufficient  strength,  as  a  column, 


105 

to  carry  the  loads,  and  shall  be  connected  with  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  rivets  to  transmit  the  stresses  into  the 
web  plate.  Stiffeners  shall  fit  so  as  to  support  the 
flanges  of  the  girders.  If  the  unsupported  depth  of  the 
web  plate  exceeds  sixty  times  its  thickness,  stiffeners 
shall  be  used  at  intervals  not  exceeding  one  hundred  and 
twenty  times  the  thickness  of  the  web. 

Sec.  117. — Rolled  Steel  and  Wrought  Iron  Beams 
Used  as  Girders.  When  rolled  steel  or  wrought  iron 
beams  are  used  in  pairs  to  form  a  girder,  they  shall  be 
connected  together  by  bolts  and  iron  separators  at  in- 
tervals of  not  more  than  five  feet.  All  beams  twelve 
inches  and  over  in  depth  shall  have  at  least  two  bolts  to 
each  separator. 

Sec.  118.— Cast  Iron  Lintels.  Cast  iron  lintels  shall 
not  be  used  for  spans  exceeding  sixteen  feet.  Cast 
iron  lintels  or  beams  shall  be  not  less  than  three-quar- 
ters of  an  inch  in  thickness  in  any  of  their  parts. 

Sec.  119. — Plates  Under  Ends  of  Lintels  and  Girders. 
When  the  lintels  or  girders  are  supported  at  the  ends 
by  brick  walls  or  piers  they  shall  rest  upon  cut  granite 
or  bluestone  blocks  at  least  ten  inches  thick,  or  upon 
cast  iron  plates  of  equal  strength  by  the  full  si?e  of 
the  bearings.  In  case  the  opening  is  less  than  twelve 
feet,  the  stone  blocks  may  be  five  inches  in  thickness, 
or  cast  iron  plates  of  equal  strength  by  the  full  size  of 
the  bearings,  may  be  used,  provided  that  in  all  cases 
the  safe  loads  do  not  exceed  those  fixed  by  section  139 
of  this  Code 

Sec.  120.— Rolled  Steel  and  Wrought  Iron  Floor  and 
Roof  Beams.  All  rolled  steel  and  wrought  iron  floor 
and  roof  beams  used  in  buildings  shall  be  of  full 
weight,  straight  and  free  from  injurious  defects.  Holes 


io6 

for  tie  rods  shall  be  placed  as  near  the  thrust  of  the 
arch  as  practicable.  The  distance  between  tie  rods  in 
floors  shall  not  exceed  eight  feet,  and  shall  not  exceed 
eight  times  the  depth  of  floor  beams  twelves  inches  and 
under.  Channels  or  other  shapes  where  used  as  skew- 
backs,  shall  have  a  sufficient  resisting  moment  to  take 
uo  the  thrust  of  the  arch.  Bearing  plates  of  stone  or 
metal  shall  be  used  to  reduce  the  pressure  on  the  wall 
to  the  working  stress.  Beams  resting  on  girders  shall 
be  securely  riveted  or  bolted  to  the  same;  where  joined 
on  a  girder,  tie  straps  of  one-half  inch  net  sectional 
area  shall  be  used,  with  rivets  or  bolts  to  correspond. 
Anchors  shall  be  provided  at  the  ends  of  all  such  beams 
bearing  on  walls. 

Sec.  121. — Templates  Under  Ends  of  Steel  or  Iron 
Floor  Beams.  Under  the  ends  of  all  iron  or  steel 
beams  where  they  rest  on  the  walls,  a  stone  or  cast  iron 
template  shall  be  built  into  the  walls.  Templates  under 
ends  of  steel  or  iron  beams  shall  be  of  such  dimensions 
as  to  bring  no  greater  pressure  upon  the  brickwork 
than  that  allowed  by  section  139  of  this  Code.  When 
rolled  iron  or  steel  floor  beams,  not  exceeding  six 
inches  in  depth,  are  placed  not  more  than  thirty  inches 
on  centres,  no  templates  shall  be  required. 

Sec.  122. — Framing  and  Connecting  Structural  Work. 
All  iron  or  steel  trimmer  beams,  headers,  and  tail 
beams,  shall  be  suitably  framed  and  connected  together, 
and  the  iron  or  steel  girders,  columns,  beams,  trusses 
and  all  other  iron  work  of  all  floors  and  roofs  shall 
be  strapped,  bolted,  anchored  and  connected  together, 
and  to  the  walls. 

All  beams  framed  into  and  supported  by  other  beams 
or  girders,  shall  be  connected  thereto  by  angles  or  knees 


icy 

of  a  proper  size  and  thickness,  and  have  sufficient  bolts 
or  rivets  in  both  legs  of  each  connecting  angle  to  trans- 
mit the  entire  weight  or  load  coming  on  the  beam 
to  the  supporting  beam  or  girder.  In  no  case  shall 
the  shearing  value  of  the  bolts  or  rivets  or  the  bearing 
value  of  the  connection  angles,  provided  for  in  section 
139  of  this  Code,  be  exceeded. 

Sec.  123. — Riveting  of  Structural  Steel  and  Wrought 
Iron  Work.    The  distance  from  centre  of  a  rivet  hole 
to  the  edge  of  the  material  shall  be  not  less  than — 
$/%  of  an  inch  for  }/2  inch  rivets, 

H          "  H 

i5*          "  tf 

if*  H 

iy2  i 

Wherever  possible,  however,  the  distance  shall  be 
equal  to  two  diameters.  All  rivets,  wherever  practi- 
cable, shall  be  machine  driven.  The  rivets  in  connections 
shall  be  proportioned  and  placed  to  suit  the  stresses. 
The  pitch  of  rivets  shall  never  be  less  than  three  diam- 
eters of  the  rivet,  nor  more  than  six  inches.  In  the 
direction  of  the  stress  it  shall  not  exceed  sixteen  times 
the  least  thickness  of  the  outside  member.  At  right 
angles  to  the  stress  it  shall  not  exceed  thirty-two 
times  the  least  thickness  of  the  outside  member.  All 
holes  shall  be  punched  accurately,  so  that  upon  as- 
sembling a  cold  rivet  will  enter  the  hole  without  strain- 
ing the  material  by  drifting.  Occasional  slight  errors 
shall  be  corrected  by  reaming.  The  rivets  shall  fill 
the  holes  completely;  the  heads  shall  be  hemispherical 
and  concentric  with  the  axis  of  the  rivet.  Gussets  shall 
be  provided  wherever  required,  of  sufficient  thickness 
and  size  to  accommodate  the  number  of  rivets  neces 
sary  to  make  a  connection. 


io8 

Sec.  124.— Bolting  of  Structural  Steel  and  Wrought 
Iron  Work.  Where  riveting  is  not  made  mandatory 
connections  may  be  effected  by  bolts.  These  bolts  shall 
be  of  wrought  iron  or  mild  steel,  and  they  shall  have 
U.  S.  Standard  threads.  The  threads  shall  be  full  and 
clean,  the  nut  shall  be  truly  concentric  with  the  bolt, 
and  the  thread  shall  be  of  sufficient  length  to  allow  the 
nut  to  be  screwed  up  tightly.  When  bolts  go  through 
bevel  flanges,  bevel  washers  to  match  shall  be  used  so 
that  head  and  nut  of  bolt  are  parallel.  When  bolts 
are  used  for  suspenders,  the  working  stresses  shall  be 
reduced  for  wrought  iron  to  ten  thousand  pounds  and 
for  steel  to  fourteen  thousands  pounds  per  square  inch 
of  net  area,  and  the  load  shall  be  transmitted  into  the 
head  or  nut  by  strong  washers  distributing  the  pres- 
sure evenly  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  same.  Turned 
bolts  in  reamed  holes  shall  be  deemed  a  substitute  for 
field  rivets. 

Sec.  125. — Steel  and  Wrought  Iron  Trusses.  Trusses 
shall  be  of  such  design  that  the  stresses  in  each  mem- 
ber can  be  calculated.  All  trusses  shall  be  held  rigidly 
in  position  by  efficient  systems  of  lateral  and  sway 
bracing,  struts  being  spaced  so  that  the  maximum  limit 
of  length  to  least  radius  of  gyration,  established  in 
Section  in  of  this  Code,  is  not  exceeded.  Any  member 
of  a  truss  subjected  to  transverse  stress,  in  addition  to 
direct  tension  or  compression,  shall  have  the  stresses 
causing  such  strain  added  to  the  direct  stresses  coming 
on  the  member,  and  the  total  stresses  thus  formed 
shall  in  no  case  exceed  the  working  stresses  stated  in 
Section  139  of  this  Code. 

Sec.  126. — Riveted  Steel  and  Wrought  Iron  Trusses. 
For  tension  members,  the  actual  net  area  only,  after 
deducting  rivet  holes,  one-eighth  inch  larger  than  the 


IOQ 

rivets,  shall  be  considered  as  resisting  the  stress.  If 
tension  members  are  made  of  angle  irons  riveted  through 
one  flange  only,  only  that  flange  shall  be  considered  in 
proportioning  areas.  Rivets  to  be  proportioned  as 
prescribed  in  section  123  of  this  Code.  If  the  axes  of 
two  adjoining  web  members  do  not  intersect  within 
the  line  of  the  chords,  sufficient  area  shall  be  added  to 
the  chord  to  take  up  the  bending  strains.  No  bolts  shall 
be  used  in  the  connections  of  riveted  trusses,  excepting 
when  riveting  is  impracticable,  and  then  the  holes  shall 
be  drilled  or  reamed. 

Sec.  127. — Steel  and  Iron  Pin-Connected  Trusses. 
The  bending  stresses  on  pins  shall  be  limited  to  twenty 
thousand  pounds  for  steel  and  fifteen  thousand  pounds 
for  iron.  All  compression  members  in  pin-connected 
trusses  shall  be  proportioned,  using  seventy-five  per 
cent,  of  the  permissible  working  stress  for  columns. 
The  heads  of  all  eye-bars  shall  be  made  by  upsetting 
or  forging.  No  weld  will  be  allowed  in  the  body  of  the 
bar.  Steel  eye-bars  shall  be  annealed.  Bars  shall  be 
straight  before  boring.  All  pin-holes  shall  be  bored 
true,  and  at  right  angles  to  the  axis  of  the  members,  and 
must  fit  the  pin  within  one-thirty-second  of  an  inch. 
The  distances  of  pin-holes  from  centre  to  centre  for 
corresponding  members  shall  be  alike,  so  that,  when 
piled  upon  one  another,  pins  will  pass  through  both 
ends  without  forcing.  Eyes  and  screw  ends  shall  be  so 
proportioned  that  upon  test  to  destruction,  fracture  will 
take  place  in  the  body  of  the  member.  All  pins  shall 
be  accurately  turned.  Pin-plates  shall  be  provided 
wherever  necessary  to  reduce  the  stresses  on  pins  to  the 
working  stresses  prescribed  in  section  139  of  this  Code. 
These  pin-plates  shall  be  connected  to  the  members  by 
rivets  of  sufficient  size  and  number  to  transmit  the 


no 

stresses  without  exceeding  working  stresses.  All  rivets 
in  members  of  pin-connected  trusses  shall  be  machine 
driven.  All  rivets  in  pin-plates  which  are  necessary  to 
transmit  stress  shall  be  also  machine  driven.  The  main 
connections  of  members  shall  be  made  by  pins.  Other 
connections  may  be  made  by  bolts.  If  there  is  a  com- 
bination of  riveted  and  pin-connected  members  in  one 
truss,  these  members  shall  comply  with  the  require- 
ments for  pin-connected  trusses;  but  the  riveting  shall 
comply  with  the  requirements  of  section  126  of  this 
Code. 

Sec.  128— Iron  and  Other  Metal  Fronts  to  Be  Filled 
In.  All  cast  iron  or  metal  fronts  shall  be  backed  up  or 
filled  in  with  masonry  of  the  thicknesses  provided  for 
in  sections  31  and  32. 

Sec.  129.— Painting  of  Structural  Metal  Work.  All 
structural  metal  work  shall  be  cleaned  of  all  scale,  dirt 
and  rust,  and  be  thoroughly  coated  with  one  coat  of 
paint.  Cast  iron  columns  shall  not  be  painted  until 
after  inspection  by  the  Department  of  Buildings.  Where 
surfaces  in  riveted  work  come  in  contact,  they  shall 
be  painted  before  assembling.  After  erection  all  work 
shall  be  painted  at  least  one  additional  coat.  All  iron 
or  steel  used  under  water  shall  be  inclosed  with  con- 
crete. 


PART  XXIII. 

FLOOR  LOADS— TEMPORARY   SUPPORTS. 
Sec.  130.— Floor  Loads.    The  dead  loads  in  all  build- 
ings shall  consist  of  the  actual  weight  of  walls,  floors, 
roofs,  partitions,  and  all  permanent  construction. 

The  live  or  variable 'loads  shall  consist  of  all  loads 
other  than  dead  loads. 


Every  floor  shall  be  of  sufficient  strength  to  bear 
safely  the  weight  to  be  imposed  thereon  in  addition  to 
the  weight  of  the  materials  of  which  the  floor  is  com- 
posed; if  to  be  used  as  a  dwelling-house,  apartment- 
house,  tenement-house,  hotel  or  lodging-house,  each 
floor  shall  be  of  sufficient  strength  in  all  its  parts  to 
bear  safely  upon  every  superficial  foot  of  its  surface 
not  less  than  sixty  pounds;  if  to  be  used  for  office  pur- 
poses not  less  than  seventy-five  pounds  upon  every 
superficial  foot  above  the  first  floor,  and  for  the  latter 
floor  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds;  if  to  be  used  as  a 
school  or  place  of  instruction,  not  less  than  seventy- 
five  pounds  upon  every  superficial  foot;  if  to  be  used 
for  stable  and  carriage  house  purposes,  not  less  than 
seventy-five  pounds  upon  every  superficial  foot;  if  to  be 
used  as  a  place  of  public  assembly,  not  less  than  ninety 
pounds  upon  every  superficial  foot;  if  to  be  used  for 
ordinary  stores,  light  manufacturing  and  light  storage, 
not  less  than  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  upon 
every  superficial  foot;  if  to  be  used  as  a  store  where 
heavy  materials  are  kept  or  stored,  warehouse,  factory 
or  for  any  other  manufacturing  or  commercial  purpose, 
not  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  upon  every 
superficial  foot. 

The  strength  of  factory  floors  intended  to  carry 
running  machinery  shall  be  increased  above  the  mini- 
mum given  in  this  section  in  proportion  to  the  degree 
of  vibratory  impulse  liable  to  be  transmitted  to  the  floor, 
as  may  be  required  by  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings 
having-  jurisdiction.  The  roofs  of  all  buildings  having  a 
pitch  of  less  than  twenty  degrees  shall  be  proportioned 
to  bear  safely  fifty  pounds  upon  every  superficial  foot 
of  their  surface,  in  addition  to  the  weight  of  materials 
composing  the  same.  If  the  pitch  be  more  than  twenty 


112 

degrees  the  live  load  shall  be  assumed  at  thirty  pounds 
upon  every  superficial  foot  measured  on  a  horizontal 
plane.  For  sidewalks  between  the  curb  and  area  lines 
the  live  load  shall  be  taken  at  three  hundred  pounds 
upon  j^every  superficial  foot.  Every  column,  post  or 
other  vertical  support  shall  be  of  sufficient  strength  to 
bear  safely  the  weight  of  the  portion  of  each  and  every 
floor  depending  upon  it  for  support,  in  addition  to  the 
weight  required  as  before  stated  to  be  supported  safely 
upon  said  portion  of  said  floors.  For  the  purpose  of  de- 
termining the  carrying  capacity  of  columns  in  dwell- 
ings, office  buildings,  stores,  stables  and  public  build- 
ings when  over  five  stories  in  height,  a  reduction  of  the 
live  loads  shall  be  permissible  as  follows:  For  the  roof 
and  top  floor  the  full  live  loads  shall  be  used;  for  each 
succeeding  lower  floor  it  shall  be  permissible  to  reduce 
the  live  load  by  five  per  cent,  until  fifty  per  cent,  of  the 
live  loads  fixed  by  this  section  is  reached,  when  such  re- 
duced loads  shall  be  used  for  all  remaining  floors. 

Sec.  131. — Load  on  Floors  to  Be  Distributed.  The 
weight  placed  on  any  of  the  floors  of  any  building  shall 
be  safely  distributed  thereon.  The  Commissioner  of 
Buildings  having  jurisdiction  may  require  the  owner 
or  occupant  of  any  building,  or  of  any  portion  thereof, 
to  re-distribute  the  load  on  any  floor,  or  to  lighten  such 
load,  where  he  deems  it  to  be  necessary. 

Sec.  132. — Strength  of  Existing  Floors  to  Be  Cal- 
culated. In  all  warehouses,  storehouses,  factories,  work- 
shops, and  stores  where  heavy  materials  are  kept  or 
stored,  or  machinery  introduced,  the  weight  that  each 
floor  will  safely  sustain  upon  each  superficial  foot  there- 
of, or  upon  each  varying  part  of  such  floor,  shall  be 
estimated  by  the  owner  or  occupant,  or  by  a  competent 


H3 

person  employed  by  the  owner  or  occupant.  Such  esti- 
mate shall  be  reduced  to  writing,  on  printed  forms 
furnished  by  the  Department  of  Buildings,  stating  the 
material,  size,  distance  apart  and  span  of  beams  and 
girders,  posts  or  columns  to  support  floors,  and  its 
correctness  shall  be  sworn  to  by  the  person  making 
the  same,  and  it  shall  thereupon  be  filed  in  the  office  of 
the  Department  of  Buildings.  But  if  the  Commissioners 
of  Buildings  shall  have  cause  to  doubt  the  correctness 
of  said  estimate,  they  are  empowered  to  revise  and  cor- 
rect the  same,  and  for  the  purpose  of  such  revision  the 
officers  and  employees  of  the  Department  of  Buildings 
may  enter  any  building  and  remove  so  much  of  any  floor 
or  other  portion  thereof  as  may  be  required  to  make 
necessary  measurements  and  examination.  When  the 
correct  estimate  of  the  weight  that  the  floors  in  any 
such  buildings  will  safely  sustain  has  been  ascertained, 
as  herein  provided,  the  Department  of  Buildings  shall 
approve  the  same,  and  thereupon  the  owner  or  occu- 
pant of  said  building,  or  of  any  portion  thereof,  shall 
post  a  copy  of  such  approved  estimate  in  a  conspicu- 
ous place  on  each  story,  or  varying  parts  of  each  story, 
of  the  building  to  which  it  relates.  Before  any  building 
hereafter  erected  is  occupied  and  used,  in  whole  or  in 
part,  for  any  of  the  purposes  aforesaid,  and  before  any 
building,  erected  prior  to  the  passage  of  this  Code, 
but  not  at  such  time  occupied  for  any  of  the  aforesaid 
purposes,  is  occupied  or  used,  in  whole  or  in  part,  for 
any  of  said  purposes,  the  weight  that  each  floor  will 
safely  sustain  upon  each  superficial  foot  thereof,  shall 
be  ascertained  and  posted  in  a  conspicuous  place  on 
each  story  or  varying  parts  of  each  story  of  the  build- 
ing to  which  it  relates.  No  person  shall  place,  or  cause 
or  permit  to  be  placed  on  any  floor  of  any  building 


114 

any  greater  load  than  the  safe  load  thereof,  as  correctly 
estimated  and  ascertained  as  herein  provided.  Any 
expense  necessarily  incurred  in  removing  any  floor  or 
other  portion  of  any  building  for  the  purpose  of  making 
any  examination  herein  provided  for  shall  be  paid  by 
the  Comptroller  of  the  City  of  New  York,  upon  the 
requisition  of  the  Board  of  Buildings,  out  of  the  fund 
paid  over  to  said  board  under  the  provisions  of  section 
158  of  this  Code.  Such  expenses  shall  be  a  charge 
against  the  person  or  persons  by  whom  or  on  whose 
behalf  said  estimate  was  made,  provided  such  examina- 
tion proves  the  floors  of  insufficient  strength  to  carry 
with  safety  the  loads  found  upon  them  when  such  exam- 
ination was  made;  and  shall  be  collected  in  an  action 
to  be  brought  by  the  Corporation  Counsel  against  said 
person  or  persons,  and  the  sum  so  collected  shall  be 
paid  over  to  the  said  Comptroller  to  be  deposited  in  said 
fund  in  reimbursement  of  the  amount  paid  as  aforesaid. 
When  the  architect  of  record  for  any  building  has  filed 
with  his  application  to  build  the  data  required  to  deter- 
mine the  strength  of  floors,  on  one  of  the  blank  forms 
provided  for  that  purpose,  such  examination  shall  not  be 
required  provided  that  the  purposes  and  uses  of  the 
building  have  not  been  changed. 

Sec.  133. — Strength  of  Temporary  Supports.  Every 
temporary  support  placed  under  any  structure,  wall 
girder  or  beam,  during  the  erection,  finishing,  altera 
tion,  or  repairing  of  any  building  or  structure  or  any 
part  thereof,  shall  be  of  sufficient  strength  to  safely  carry 
the  load  to  be  placed  thereon. 


PART  XXIV. 

CALCULATIONS.  STRENGTH  OF  MATERIALS. 
Sec.  134. — Safe  Load  for  Masonry  Work.  The  safe- 
bearing  load  to  apply  to  brickwork  shall  be  taken  at 
eight  tons  per  superficial  foot,  when  lime  mortar  is 
used;  eleven  and  one-half  tons  per  superficial  foot 
when  lime  and  cement  mortar  mixed  is  used;  fifteen 
tons  per  superficial  foot  when  cement  mortar  is  used. 
The  safe-bearing  load  to  apply  to  rubble-stone  work 
shall  be  taken  at  ten  tons  per  superficial  foot  when 
Portland  cement  is  used;  when  cement  other  than 
Portland  is  used,  eight  tons  per  superficial  foot;  when 
lime  and  cement  mortar  mixed  is  used,  seven  tons  per 
superficial  foot ;  and  when  lime  mortar  is  used,  five  tons 
per  superficial  foot.  The  safe-bearing  load  to  apply  to 
concrete  when  Portland  cement  is  used  shall  be  taken 
at  fifteen  tons  per  superficial  foot ;  and  when  cement  other 
than  Portland  is  used,  eight  tons  per  superficial  foot. 

Sec.  135. — Weights  of  Certain  Materials.  In  com- 
puting the  weight  of  walls,  a  cubic  foot  of  brickwork 
shall  be  deemed  to  weigh  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
pounds.  Sandstone,  white  marble,  granite  and  other 
kinds  of  building  stone  shall  be  deemed  to  weigh  one 
hundred  and  seventy  pounds  per  cubic  foot. 

Sec.  136. — Computations  for  Strength  of  Materials. 
The  dimensions  of  each  piece,  or  combination  of  ma- 
terials required  shall  be  ascertained  by  computation,  ac- 
cording to  the  rules  prescribed  by  this  Code. 

Sec.  137. — Factors  of  Safety.  Where  the  unit  stress 
for  any  material  is  not  prescribed  in  this  Code  the 
relation  of  allowable  unit  stress  to  ultimate  strength 
shall  be  as  one  to  four  for  metals,  subjected  to  tension 
or  transverse  stress;  as  one  to  six  for  timber,  and  as 


n6 


one  to  ten  for  natural  or  artificial  stones  and  brick  or 
stone  masonry.  But  wherever  working  stresses  are 
prescribed  in  this  Code,  varying  the  factors  of  safety 
hereinabove  given,  the  said  working  stresses  shall  be 
used. 

Sec.  138. — Strength  of  Columns.  In  columns  or  com- 
pression members  with  flat  ends  of  cast  iron,  steel, 
wrought  iron  or  wood,  the  stress  per  square  inch  shall 
not  exceed  that  given  in  the  following  tables: 


WHEN  THE  LENGTH 
DIVIDED  BY  LEAST 

WORKING  J 

STRESSES  PER  S<; 
or  SECTION 

JUARE  INCH 

EQUALS 

CAST  IRON 

STEEL 

WROUGHT  IRON 

8,24O 

4,4OO 

8  820 

e   2OO 

9,400 

6,OOO 

QO 

Q  Q8O 

6  800 

80  

IO,56O 

7,600 

0,200 

II    I4O 

8  400 

60 

9  CQO 

II  72O 

o  200 

EO.  . 

O.Soo 

12  3OO 

IO  OOO 

do 

IO  IOO 

12  88O 

10  800 

•7Q.  . 

10,4.00 

I^,46o 

ii  600 

2O 

IO  7OO 

14  O4O 

12  400 

II  OOO 

I4,62O 

I3,2OO 

And  in  like  proportion  for  intermediate  ratios. 


WHEN  THE  LENGTH 
DIVIDED  BY  THE 
LEAST  DIAMETER 
EQUALS 

WORKING  STRESSES  PER  SQUARE  INCH 
OP  SECTION 

LONG    LEAP 
YELLOW  PINE 

WHITE  PINE, 
NORWAY  PINE, 
SPRUCE 

OAK 

•2Q     . 

460 
550 
640 
730 
784 
820 

350 
425 
500 

575 
620 
650 

390 

475 
560 

645 
696 
730 

2K 

20  

1C.  . 

12.  .  .  .  t  

10.         

And  in  like  proportion  for  intermediate  ratios.  Five- 
eighths  the  values  given  for  white  pine  shall  also  apply 
to  chestnut  and  hemlock  posts.  For  locust  posts  use 
one  and  one-half  the  value  given  for  white  pine. 

Columns  and  compression  members  shall  not  be  used 
having  an  unsupported  length  of  greater  ratios  than 
given  in  the  tables.  Any  column  eccentrically  loaded 
shall  have  the  stresses  caused  by  such  eccentricity 
computed,  and  the  combined  stresses  resulting  from 
such  eccentricity  at  any  part  of  the  column,  added  to 
all  other  stresses  at  that  part,  shall  in  no  case  exceed 
the  working  stresses  stated  in  this  Code. 

The  eccentric  load  of  a  column  shall  be  considered  to 
be  distributed  equally  over  the  entire  area  of  that  col- 
umn at  the  next  point  below  at  which  the  column  is 
securely  braced  laterally  in  the  direction  of  the  eccen- 
tricity. 


n8 

Sec.  139. — Working  Stresses.  The  safe  carrying 
capacity  of  the  various  materials  of  construction  (ex- 
cept in  the  case  of  columns)  shall  be  determined  by  the 
following  working  stresses  in  pounds  per  square  inch 
of  sectional  area: 

Compression  (Direct). 

Rolled    steel 16,000 

Cast  steel 16,000 

Wrought  iron 12,000 

Cast  iron  (in  short  blocks) 16,000 

Steel  pins  and  rivets  (bearing) 20,000 

Wrought  iron  pins  and  rivets  (bearing) . .  15,000 

With  Grain.     Across  Grain. 

Oak 900  800 

Yellow  pine 1,000  600 

White  pine 800  400 

Spruce  800  400 

Locust    1,200  1,000 

Hemlock    500  500 

Chestnut   500  1,000 

Concrete  (Portland)  cement,  i;  sand,  2; 

stone,  4 230 

Concrete  (Portland)  cement,  i;  sand,  2; 

stone,  5 208 

Concrete,  Rosendale,  or  equal,  cement,  I ; 

sand,  2 ;  stone,  4 125 

\  Concrete,  Rosendale,  or  equal,  cement,  I ; 

sand,  2;  stone,  5 in 

Rubble  stonework  in  Portland  cement 

mortar 140 

Rubble  stonework  in  Rosendale  cement 

mortar  m 


Rubble   stonework   in    lime    and   cement 

mortar 97 

Rubble  stonework  in  lime  mortar 7° 

Brickwork  in  Portland  cement  mortar; 

cement,  i ;  sand,  3 £50 

Brickwork  in  Rosendale,  or  equal,  cement 

mortar ;  cement,  i ;  sand.  3 208 

Brickwork  in  lime  and  cement  mortar; 

cement,  i ;  lime,  i ;  sand,  6 160 

Brickwork  in  lime  mortar;  lime  i; 

sand,  4 in 

Granites  (according  to  test) 1,000  to  2,400 

Greenwich  stone 1,200 

Gneiss  (New  York  City) 1,300 

Limestones  (according  to  test) 700  to  2,300 

Marbles  (according  to  test) 600  to  1,200 

Sandstones  (according  to  test) 400  to  1,600 

Bluestone,  North  river 2,000 

Brick  (Haver straw,  flatwise) 300 

Slate 1,000 

Tension  (Direct). 

Rolled  steel 16,000 

Cast  steel   16,000 

Wrought  iron 12,000 

Cast  iron 3>ooo 

Yellow  pine 1,200 

White  pine 800 

Spruce 800 

Oak 1,000 

Hemlock 600 

Shear. 

Steel  web  plates 9,000 

Steel  shop  rivets  and  pins 10,000 


120 


Shear. — Continued. 

Steel  field  rivets 

Steel  field  bolts 

Wrought  iron  web  plates 

Wrought  iron  shop  rivets  and  pins 

Wrought  iron  field  rivets 

Wrought  iron  field  bolts 

Cast  iron 

With  Fibre. 


8,000 
7,000 
6,000 
7,5oo 
6,000 
5,5oo 
3,000 
Across  Fibre. 

500 
250 
320 
600 
720 
275 
150 


Yellow  pine 70 

White  pine 40 

Spruce  50 

Oak 100 

Locust  100 

Hemlock  40 

Chestnut 

Safe  Extreme  Fibre  Stress  (Bending). 

Rolled    steel    beams 16,000 

Rolled  steel  pins,  rivets  and  bolts 20,000 

Riveted  steel  beams  (net  flange  section)  . .  14,000 

Rolled  wrought  iron  beams 12,000 

Rolled    wrought  iron    pins,     rivets   and 

bolts  15,000 

Riveted  wrought  iron  beams  (net  flange 

section)  12,000 

Cast  iron,  compression  side 16,000 

Cast  iron,  tension  side 3,ooo 

Yellow  pine 1,200 

White  pine 800 

Spruce  800 

Oak    1,000 

Locust 1,200 

Hemlock 600 

Chestnut  800 

Granite  .  180 


I2t 

Safe  Extreme  Fibre  Stress  (Bending). — Continued. 

Greenwich   stone 150 

Gneiss   (New  York  City) 150 

Limestone    150 

Slate    400 

Marble 120 

Sandstone    100 

Bluestone,  North  river 300 

Concrete  (Portland)  cement,  i;  sand,  2; 

stone,  4 30 

Concrete  (Portland)  cement,  i;  sand,  2; 

stone,  5 20 

Concrete   (Rosendale,  or  equal)   cement, 

i ;  sand,  2 ;  stone,  4 16 

Concrete   (Rosendale,  or  equal)   cement, 

i ;  sand,  2 ;  stone,  5 10 

Brick  (common) 50 

Brickwork  (in  cement) 30 

Sec.  140. — Wind  Pressure.  All  structures  exposed  to 
wind  shall  be  designed  to  resist  a  horizontal  wind  pres- 
sure of  thirty  pounds  for  every  square  foot  of  surface 
thus  exposed,  from  the  ground  to  the  top  of  same,  in- 
cluding roof,  in  any  direction.  In  no  case  shall  the  over- 
turning moment  due  to  wind  pressure  exceed  seventy- 
five  per  centum  of  the  moment  of  stability  of  the  struc- 
ture. In  all  structures  exposed  to  wind,  if  the  resist- 
ing moments  of  the  ordinary  materials  of  construc- 
tion, such  as  masonry,  partitions,  floors  and  connec- 
tions are  not  sufficient  to  resist  the  moment  of  dis- 
tortion due  to  wind  pressure,  taken  in  any  direction 
on  any  part  of  the  structure,  additional  bracing  shall 
be  introduced  sufficient  to  make  up  the  difference  in 
the  moments.  In  calculations  for  wind  bracing,  the 


122 


working  stresses  set  forth  in  this  Code  may  be  in- 
creased by  fifty  per  centum.  In  buildings  under  one 
hundred  feet  in  height,  provided  the  height  does  not 
exceed  four  times  the  average  width  of  the  base,  the 
wind  pressure  may  be  disregarded. 


PART  XXV. 
PLUMBING  AND  DRAINAGE. 
Sec.  141. — Plumbing,  Drainage,  and  Repairs  Thereto, 

I.  The  drainage  and  plumbing  of  all  buildings,  both 
public  and   private,    shall    be   executed    in   accordance 
with  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Department  of 
Buildings.     Said  rules  and  regulations  and  any  change 
thereof  shall  be  published  in  the  "City  Record"  on  eight 
successive    Mondays    before    the    same    shall    become 
operative. 

Repairs  or  alterations  of  such  plumbing  or  drainage 
may  be  made  without  the  filing  and  approval  of  draw- 
ings and  descriptions  in  the  Department  of  Buildings, 
but  such  repairs  or  alterations  shall  not  be  construed 
to  include  cases  where  new  vertical  or  horizontal  lines 
of  soil,  waste,  vent  or  leader  pipes  are  proposed  to 
be  used. 

Notice  of  such  repairs  or  alterations  shall  be  given 
to  the  said  Department  before  the  same  are  com- 
menced in  such  cases  as  shall  be  prescribed  by  the 
rules  and  regulations  of  the  said  Department,  and  the 
work  shall  be  done  in  accordance  with  the  said  rules 
and  regulations. 

II.  Once  in  each  year,  every  employing  or  master 
plumber  carrying  on  his  trade,  business  or  calling  in  The 
City  of  New  York,  shall  register  his  name  and  address 
at  the  office  of  the  Department  of  Buildings  in  said 


123 

city  under  such  rules  and  regulations  as  said  Depart- 
ment shall  prescribe  and  as  hereinafter  provided. 

And  thereupon  he  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  a  cer- 
tificate of  such  registration  from  said  Department,  pro- 
vided, however,  that  such  employing  or  master  plumber 
shall,  at  the  time  of  applying  for  such  registration, 
hold  a  certificate  of  competency  from  the  Examining 
Board  of  Plumbers  of  said  city. 

The  time  for  making  such  registration  shall  be  dur- 
ing the  month  of  March  in  each  year.  Where,  how- 
ever, a  person  obtains  a  certificate  of  competency  at  a 
time  other  than  in  the  month  of  March  in  any  year, 
he  may  register  within  thirty  days  after  obtaining  such 
certificate  of  competency,  but  he  must  also  register  in 
the  month  of  March  in  each  year  as  herein  provided. 

Such  registration  may  be  canceled  by  the  Depart- 
ment of  Buildings  for  a  violation  of  the  rules  and 
regulations  for  the  plumbing  and  drainage  of  said 
Department  of  Buildings,  duly  adopted  and  in  force  pur- 
suant to  the  provisions  of  this  section  or  whenever 
the  person  so  registered  ceases  to  be  a  master  or  em- 
ploying plumber,  after  a  hearing  had  before  said  De- 
partment, and  upon  a  prior  notice  of  not  less  than  ten 
days,  stating  the  grounds  of  complaint  and  served 
upon  the  person  charged  with  the  violation  of  the 
aforesaid  rules  and  regulations. 

III.  After  this  Code  takes  effect,  no  person,  cor- 
poration or  copartnership  shall  engage  in,  or  carry  on 
the  trade,  business  or  calling  of  employing  or  master 
plumber  in  The  City  of  New  York,  unless  the  name  and 
address  of  such  person  and  the  president,  secretary  or 
treasurer  of  such  corporation  and  each  and  every 
member  of  such  copartnership  shall  have  been  regis- 
tered as  above  provided. 


124 

IV.  No  person  or  persons  shall  expose  the  sign  of 
"Plumber"  or  "Plumbing"  or  a  sign  containing  words 
of  similar  import  and  meaning  in  The  City  of  New  York 
unless  each  person  forming  such  a  copartnership  shall 
have  obtained  a  certificate  of  competency  from  the  Ex- 
amining Board  of  Plumbers,  and  shall  have  registered 
as  herein  -provided. 

A  master  or  employing  plumber  within  the  meaning 
of  this  Code  is  any  person  who  hires  or  employs  a 
person  or  persons  to  do  plumbing  work. 

V.  The  Inspectors  of  Plumbing  in  the  Department 
of   Buildings    in    addition    to   their   other    duties    shall 
ascertain    whether   the    employing    or    master    plumber 
having  charge  of  the  construction,  repairing  or  altera- 
tion of  any  plumbing  work  performed  in  The  City  of 
New   York    is    registered   as    herein   provided,    and    if 
such  person  is  not  so  registered,  then  such  inspectors 
shall  forthwith  report  to  said  department  the  name  of 
said  plumber. 

VI.  The  Commissioner  of  Buildings   having  juris- 
diction may  present  a  petition  to  a  justice  of  the  Su- 
preme   Court    or    to    a    special    term    thereof    for    an 
order  restraining  the  person  so  reported   from  acting 
as  an  employing  or  master  plumber  until  he  registers 
pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  this  Code.     Said  petition 
shall  state  that  the  said  person  is  engaged  in  plumbing 
work    as    an    employing    or    master    plumber    without 
having  so  registered,  and  shall  be  verified  by  the  in- 
spector making  the  said  report. 

Upon  the  presentation  of  the  petition,  the  Court  shall 
grant  an  order  requiring  such  plumber  to  appear  be- 
fore a  special  term  of  the  Supreme  Court  on  a  date 
therein  specified,  not  less  than  two  nor  more  than  six 
days  after  the  granting  thereof,  to  show  cause  why  he 


125 

should  not  be  permanently  enjoined  until  he  has  ob- 
tained a  certificate  of  registration  as  herein  required. 
A  copy  of  such  petition  and  order  shall  be  served  upon 
such  person  not  less  than  twenty-four  hours  before  the 
return  thereof.  On  the  day  specified  in  such  order  the 
Court  before  whom  the  same  is  returnable,  shall  hear 
the  proofs  of  the  parties  and  may,  if  deemed  necessary, 
take  testimony  in  relation  to  the  allegations  of  the 
petition. 

If  the  Court  is  satisfied  that  such  plumber  is  prac- 
ticing without  having  registered  as  provided  by  this 
Code,  an  order  shall  be  granted  enjoining  him  from 
acting  as  an  employing  or  master  plumber,  until  he  has 
so  registered. 

No  undertaking  shall  be  required  as  a  condition  to 
the  granting  or  issuing  of  such  injunction  order  or  by 
reason  thereof. 

If  after  the  entry  of  such  order  in  a  County  Clerk's 
office  in  The  City  of  New  York  such  person  shall  in 
violation  of  such  order,  practice  as  an  employing  or 
master  plumber,  he  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  criminal 
contempt  of  court,  and  be  punishable  as  for  a  criminal 
contempt  in  the  manner  provided  by  the  Code  of  Civil 
Procedure. 

In  no  case  shall  the  Department  of  Buildings  be 
liable  for  costs  in  any  such  proceeding,  but  costs  may 
be  allowed  against  the  defendant  or  defendants  in  the 
discretion  of  the  Court. 


PART  XXVI. 

BUILDINGS  RAISED,  LOWERED,  ALTERED  OR  MOVED. 
Sec.    142. — Buildings   Raised,    Lowered,    Altered    or 
Moved.   Within  the  fire  limits  it  shall  not  be  lawful  for 


126 

the  owner  or  owners  of  any  brick  dwelling-house  with 
eight-inch  walls,  or  of  any  wood  building  already 
erected  that  has  a  peaked  roof,  to  raise  the  same  for  the 
purpose  of  making  a  flat  roof  thereon,  unless  the  same  be 
raised  with  the  same  kind  of  material  as  the  building, 
and  unless  such  new  roof  be  covered  with  fireproof  ma- 
terial, and  provided  that  such  building,  when  so  raised, 
shall  not  exceed  forty  feet  in  height  to  the  highest  part 
thereof.  All  such  buildings  must  exceed  twenty-five 
feet  in  height  to  the  peak  of  the  main  roof  before  the 
said  alteration  and  raising.  In  increasing  the  height  of 
any  such  building  the  entire  area  which  such  building 
covers  may  be  raised  to  a  uniform  height.  If  any  such  build- 
ing has  an  extension  of  less  width  than  the  main  build- 
ing the  same  may  be  increased  in  width  to  the  full  width 
of  the  main  building,  with  the  same  kind  of  material 
and  to  the  same  height  as  the  main  building. 
Any  such  building  may  be  extended  either  on 
the  front  or  rear  to  a  depth  of  not  more 
than  fifteen  feet  and  not  more  than  the  width 
of  the  building,  and  not  more  than  two  stories  and  base- 
ment in  height,  with  the  same  kind  of  material  as  the 
building.  Any  frame  building  situated  in  a  row  of 
frame  buildings  may  be  increased  in  height  to  conform 
to  the  height  of  adjoining  buildings.  If  any  block 
situated  within  the  fire  limits  has  ninety  per  cent,  ot 
the  buildings,  located  thereon,  constructed  of  frame, 
any  vacant  lot  situated  therein  may  have  a  frame  build- 
ing placed  thereon  provided  the  same  be  not  more 
than  two  stories  and  basement  in  height  and  is  to  be 
used  for  residence  purposes  only.  If  any  building  shall 
have  been  built  before  the  street  upon  which  it  is 
located  is  graded,  or  if  the  grade  is  altered,  such  build- 
ing may  be  raised  or  lowered  to  meet  the  requirements 


Or 


127 

of  such  grade.  The  restrictions  contained  in  this  sec- 
tion shall  not  prohibit  one-story  and  basement  frame 
dwelling-houses  from  being  increased  one  additional 
story  in  height.  Within  the  fire  limits  no  frame  build- 
ing more  than  two  stories  in  height,  now  used  as  a 
dwelling,  shall  hereafter  be  raised  or  altered  to  be  used 
as  a  factory,  warehouse  or  stable. 

No  wood  building  within  or  without  the  fire  limits 
shall  be  moved  from  one  lot  to  another  until  a  state- 
ment setting  forth  the  purposes  of  said  removal  and 
the  uses  to  which  said  building  is  to  be  applied  is 
filed  in  the  Department  of  Buildings,  and  a  permit  be 
first  obtained  therefor.  No  wood  building  shall  be 
moved  from  without  to  within  the  fire  limits. 

Within  the  fire  limits  no  brick  building  shall  be  en- 
larged or  built  upon  unless  the  exterior  walls  of  said 
addition  or  enlargement  be  constructed  of  incombus- 
tible materials;  provided,  however,  that  such  brick 
building  may  be  raised,  lowered  or  altered  under  the 
same  circumstances,  and  in  the  manner  provided  for 
in  this  section. 


PART  XXVII. 

FIRE  LIMITS. 

Sec.  143. — Fire  Limits.  No  frame  or  wood  structure 
shall  be  built  hereafter  in  the  City  of  New  York  within 
the  following  limits: 

IN  THE  BOROUGH  OF  MANHATTAN  :     WITHIN  THE  FOL- 
LOWING DESCRIBED  LINES. 

Beginning  at  a  point  on  the  North  River  at  the  Bat- 
tery and  running  thence  northerly  along  the  pier  head- 
line to  a  point  one  hundred  feet  north  of  the  northerly 


128 

side  of  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-fifth  street,  and  run- 
ning thence  easterly  one  hundred  feet  north  of  the 
northerly  side  of  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-fifth  street 
to  a  point  one  hundred  feet  west  of  the  westerly  side 
of  Broadway:  thence  northerly  on  a  line  drawn  always 
one  hundred  feet  west  of  the  westerly  side  of  Broadway 
to  the  bulkhead-line  of  the  Harlem  river;  thence  south- 
erly along  the  bulkhead-line  of  the  Harlem  river  to  the 
Bronx  Kills;  thence  easterly  along  the  bulkhead-line  of 
the  Bronx  Kills  to  the  East  river;  thence  southerly 
along  the  East  river,  passing  to  the  east  of  Blackwell's 
Island;  and  thence  continuing  by  the  pierhead-line  of 
the  East  river  to  the  place  of  beginning. 


IN  THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX:    WITHIN  THE  FOL- 
LOWING DESCRIBED  LINES. 

ADOPTED  BY  THE  BOARD  OF  ALDERMEN,  DEC.  12,  1899. 
ADOPTED  BY  THE  COUNCIL,  DEC.  19,  1899. 
APPROVED  BY  THE  MAYOR,  DEC.  23,  1899. 

Beginning  at  a  point  on  the  eastern  bulkhead-line 
of  the  Harlem  river  one  hundred  feet  south  of '  East 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  street,  running  thence 
easterly  and  parallel  with  East  One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
first  street  to  the  east  side  of  Sheridan  avenue  and  one 
hundred  feet  therefrom;  thence  north  on  the  east  side 
of  Sheridan  avenue  to  a  point  one  hundred  feet  north 
of  the  north  line  of  East  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first 
street;  thence  easterly  and  parallel  to  East  One  Hun- 
dred and  Sixty-first  street  and  one  hundred  feet  there- 
from to  a  point  one  hundred  feet  west  of  Park  avenue; 
thence  northeasterly  and  parallel  to  Park  avenue  and 
one  hundred  feet  therefrom  to  a  point  distant  one  hun-|| 
dred  feet  west  of  Webster  avenue;  thence  northerly  andl 


I29 

parallel  to  Webster  avenue  and  one  hundred  feet  there- 
from to  a  point  one  hundred  feet  northerly  of  East  One 
Hundred  and  Seventy-seventh  street;  thence  east- 
erly and  parallel  to  East  One  Hundred  and 
Seventy-seventh  street  and  one  hundred  feet  there- 
from to  Third  avenue;  thence  southerly  along  the 
westerly  boundary  line  of  Crotona  Park,  and  thence 
easterly  along  the  southerly  boundary  line  of  Crotona 
Park  to  a  point  distant  one  hundred  feet  east  of  Pros- 
pect avenue;  thence  along  Prospect  avenue  and  one  hun- 
dred feet  east  therefrom  to  Westchester  avenue;  thence 
along  Westchester  avenue  and  one  hundred  feet  east 
therefrom  to  a  point  one  hundred  feet  east  of  the  east- 
erly line  of  Robbins  avenue;  thence  southerly  and  par- 
allel to  Robbins  avenue  one  hundred  feet  east  therefrom 
to  the  Port  Morris  Branch  Railroad;  thence  southeast- 
erly along  the  Port  Morris  Branch  Railroad  to  the  East 
river ;  thence  southwesterly  along  the  East  river,  north- 
westerly along  the  Bronx  Kills  and  northerly  along 
the  Harlem  river  to  the  point  of  beginning. 


.130 

IN  THE  BOROUGH  OF  BROOKLYN:     WITHIN  THE  FOL- 
LOWING DESCRIBED  LINES. 

Beginning  at  a  point  formed  by  the  intersection 
of  Sixtieth  street  and  New  York  bay;  thence  running 
easterly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  south  of  and  parallel 
with  the  southerly  side  of  Sixtieth  street  to  Sixth 
avenue;  thence  running  northerly  on  a  line  drawn  100 
feet  east  of  and  parallel  with  the  easterly  side  of  Sixth 
avenue  to  Thirty-sixth  street;  thence  running  westerly 
through  the  centre  line  of  Thirty-sixth  street  to  Fifth 
avenue;  thence  running  northerly  through  the  centre 
line  of  Fifth  avenue  to  Twenty-fourth  street;  thence 
running  easterly  through  the  centre  line  of  Twenty- 
fourth  street  to  Sixth  avenue;  thence  running  northerly 
through  the  centre  line  of  Sixth  avenue  to  Twenty-third 
street;  thence  running  easterly  through  the  centre  line 
of  Twenty-third  street  to  Seventh  avenue;  thence  run- 
ning northerly  through  the  centre  line  of  Seventh 
avenue  to  Twentieth  street;  thence  running  easterly 
through  the  centre  line  of  Twentieth  street  to  Ninth 
avenue,  or  Prospect  park  West;  thence  running  north- 
erly through  the  centre  line  of  Ninth  avenue,  or  Prospect 
park  West  to  Prospect  avenue;  thence  running  east- 
erly through  the  centre  line  of  Prospect  avenue  to 
Eleventh  avenue;  thence  running  northerly  through  the 
centre  line  of  Eleventh  avenue  to  Fifteenth  street;  thence 
running  westerly  through  the  centre  line  of  Fifteenth 
street  to  Ninth  avenue,  or  Prospect  park  West;  thence 
northerly  through  the  centre  line  of  Ninth  avenue,  or 
Prospect  park  West  to  Flatbush  avenue  ;  thence  south- 
erly along  the  centre  line  of  Flatbush  avenue  to  Ocean 
avenue;  thence  southerly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  west 
of  and  parallel  with  the  west  side  of  Flatbush  avenue 
to  Avenue  E;  thence  easterly  through  the  centre  line 


of  Avenue  E  to  Flatbush  avenue;  thence  northwesterly 
on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  east  of  and  parallel  with  the 
easterly  side  of  Flatbush  avenue  to  Franklin  avenue; 
thence  northerly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  east  of  and 
parallel  with  the  easterly  side  of  Franklin  avenue  to 
Crown  street;  thence  easterly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet 
south  of  and  parallel  with  the  southerly  side  of  Crown 
street  to  East  New  York  avenue;  thence  easterly  on 
a  line  drawn  100  feet  south  of  and  parallel  with  the 
southerly  side  of  East  New  York  avenue  to  Gillen 
place;  thence  northerly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  east  of 
and  parallel  with  the  easterly  side  of  Gillen  place  to 
Broadway;  thence  northerly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet 
east  of  and  parallel  with  the  east  side  of  Broadway  to 
Pilling  street;  thence  easterly  through  the  centre  line 
of  Pilling  street  to  Central  avenue;  thence  northwester- 
ly on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  east  of  and  parallel  with 
the  easterly  side  of  Central  avenue  to  Flushing  avenue; 
thence  westerly  from  a  line  drawn  100  feet  north  of 
and  parallel  with  the  northerly  side  of  Flushing  avenue 
to  Bushwick  avenue;  thence  northerly  on  a  line  drawn 
100  feet  east  of  and  parallel  with  the  easterly  side  of 
Bushwick  avenue  to  Metropolitan  avenue;  thence  west- 
erly on  a  line  drawn  TOO  feet  north  of  and  parallel  with 
the  northerly  side  of  Metropolitan  avenue  to  Graham 
avenue;  thence  northerly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  east 
of  and  parallel  with  the  easterly  side  of  Graham  avenue 
to  Skillman  avenue;  thence  westerly  on  a  line  drawn 
loo  feet  north  of  and  parallel  with  the  northerly  side 
of  Skillman  avenue  to  Union  avenue;  thence  northerly 
on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  east  of  and  parallel  with  the 
easterly  side  of  Union  avenue  to  North  Ninth  street; 
thence  northwesterly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  northeast 
of  and  parallel  with  the  northeasterly  side  of  North 


132 

Ninth  street  to  Bedford  avenue;  thence  easterly  on  a 
line  drawn  100  feet  south  of  and  parallel  with  the  south- 
erly side  of  Bedford  avenue  to  North  Eleventh  street; 
thence  northwesterly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  north- 
east of  and  parallel  with  the  northeasterly  side  of  North 
Eleventh  street  to  the  East  river;  thence  to  Van  Brunt 
street;  thence  northeasterly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet 
east  of  and  parallel  with  the  easterly  side  of  Van 
Brunt  street  to  King  street;  thence  southeasterly  on  a 
line  drawn  100  feet  south  of  and  parallel  with  the  south- 
erly side  of  King  street  to  Columbia  street;  thence 
northeasterly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  east  of  and  paral- 
lel with  the  easterly  side  of  Columbia  street  to  Luqueer 
street;  thence  easterly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  south 
of  and  parallel  with  the  southerly  side  of  Luqueer  street 
to  Hamilton  avenue;  thence  southerly  on  a  line  drawn 
100  feet  west  of  and  parallel  with  the  west  side  of 
Hamilton  avenue  to  Court  street;  thence  southwesterly 
on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  east  of  and  parallel  with  the 
easterly  side  of  Court  street  to  Gowanus  bay  and  New 
York  bay  to  the  point  or  place  of  beginning. 

Also  beginning  at  a  point  formed  by  the  intersection 
of  East  river  and  Noble  street;  thence  running  easterly 
on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  south  of  and  parallel  with  the 
southerly  side  of  Noble  street  to  Lorimer  street;  thence 
southerly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  west  of  and  parallel 
with  the  westerly  side  of  Lorimer  street  to  Nassau 
avenue;  thence  easterly  on  a  line  drawn  100  feet  south 
of  and  parallel  with  the  southerly  side  of  Nassau 
avenue  to  Oakland  street;  thence  northerly  on  a  line 
drawn  100  feet  east  of  and  parallel  with  the  easterly  side 
of  Oakland  street  to  Newtown  creek,  to  the  East  river, 
to  the  point  or  place  of  beginning. 

In  that  part  of  the  Twenty-ninth  Ward  bounded  by 
Coney  Island  avenue  on  the  west,  by  New  York  avenue 


•133 

on  the  east  and  by  the  lines  of  said  ward  on  the  north 
and  south,  no  row  of  two  or  more  attached  frame  stores, 
dwellings  or  buildings  shall  be  permitted  to  be  erected; 
and  no  frame  house  or  building  shall  be  erected  on  any 
lot  or  building  plot  covering  more  than  eighty  per  cent, 
in  width  of  any  such  lot  or  building  plot. 

Resolved,  That  the  Department  of  Buildings  be  and 
it  hereby  is  requested  to  extend  the  fire  limits  in  the 
Eighth  Ward,  Borough  of  Brooklyn,  to  include  the 
territory  between  the  south  side  of  Forty-fifth  street 
and  the  north  side  of  Sixtieth  street,  and  the  easterly  side 
of  Sixth  avenue  and  the  westerly  side  of  Seventh  avenue. 

ADOPTED  BY  THE  COUNCIL  DEC.  4,  1900. 

ADOPTED  BY  THE  BOARD  OF  ALDERMEN   DEC.  n,  1900. 

Received  by  the  Municipal  Assembly  from  his  Honor, 
the  Mayor,  Dec.  26,  1900,  without  his  approval  or  dis- 
approval thereof;  therefore,  as  provided  in  Section  40 
of  the  Greater  New  York  Charter,  the  same  took  effect 
as  if  he  had  approved  it. 

AN  ORDINANCE  relative  to  frame  buildings  in  the 
Thirtieth  Ward,  Borough  of  Brooklyn. 

Be  it  ordained  by  the  Municipal  Assembly  of  The  City 
of  New  York,  as  follows: 

Section  i.  That  section  143  of  the  Building  Code 
be  and  the  same  is  hereby  amended  by  adding  in  the 
section  allotted  to  the  Borough  of  Brooklyn  the  fol- 
lowing : 

Any  frame  building  erected  hereafter  in  the  territory 
included  within  the  following  boundary — all  in  the 
Thirtieth  Ward  of  the  Borough  of  Brooklyn — namely: 
Beginning  at  the  Shore  road  and  Bay  Ridge  avenue, 
along  Bay  Ridge  avenue,  including  both  sides  of  said 


134 

avenue,  to  Fourteenth  avenue ;  along  Fourteenth  avenue, 
including  both  sides,  to  Eighty-sixth  street;  along 
Eighty-sixth  street,  including  both  sides,  to  Third 
avenue ;  along  Third  avenue,  including  both  sides,  to 
Ninety-second  street;  along  Ninety-second  street,  in- 
cluding both  sides,  to  Shore  road ;  along  the  said  Shore 
road  to  the  point  of  beginning — shall  not  occupy  more 
than  eighty  (80)  per  cent,  in  width  of  the  lot  on 
which  said  building  is  erected. 

ADOPTED  BY  THE  BOARD  OF  ALDERMEN  DEC.  18,  1900. 
ADOPTED  BY  THE  COUNCIL  DEC.  18,  1900. 

Received  from  his  Honor,  the  Mayor,  Jan.  8,  1901, 
without  his  approval  or  disapproval  thereof;  therefore, 
as  provided  in  section  40  of  the  Greater  New  York 
Charter,  the  same  took  effect  as  if  he  had  approved  it. 

IN  THE  BOROUGH  OF  QUEENS  :    WITHIN  THE  FOLLOWING 

DESCRIBED  LINES. 

Bounded  on  the  south  by  Newtown  creek;  on  the 
north  by  the  southerly  line  of  Nott  avenue;  on  the  west 
by  the  East  river,  and  on  the  east  by  the  westerly  line 
of  Van  Alst  avenue. 


PART  XXVIII. 
FRAME  BUILDINGS. 

Sec.  144. — Frame  Structures  Within  the  Fire  Limits. 
The  provisions,  in  this  section  contained,  shall  apply 
to  buildings  and  structures,  whether  temporary  or 
permanent,  within  the  fire  limits,  as  the  said  fire  limits 
now  are  or  may  hereafter  be  established. 

Temporary  one-story  frame  buildings  may  be  erected 
for  the  uses  of  builders,  within  the  limits  of  lots  where- 


135 

on  buildings  are  in  course  of  erection,  or  on  adjoining 
vacant  lots,  upon  permits  issued  by  the  Commissioner 
of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction. 

Temporary  structures  shall  be  taken  to  mean  and  in- 
clude platforms,  stands,  election  booths,  temporary 
buildings  and  circus  tents. 

Sheds  of  wood  not  over  fifteen  feet  high,  open  on  at 
least  one  side,  with  the  sides  and  roof  thereof  covered 
with  fireproof  material,  may  also  be  built,  but  a  fence 
shall  not  be  used  as  the  back  or  side  thereof.  Such 
sheds  shall  not  cover  an  area  exceeding  two  thousand 
five  hundred  square  feet,  except  by  permission  of  the 
Board  of  Buildings. 

Fences  of  wood  shall  not  be  erected  over  ten  feet 
high. 

Signs  of  wood  shall  not  be  erected  over  two  feet  high 
on  any  building.  Sky  signs,  or  any  device  in  the 
nature  of  an  advertisement,  announcement  or  direction, 
supported  upon  or  above  or  attached  to  any  building, 
constructed  of  sheet  metal  or  wire  fastened  to  wood 
frames,  shall  be  deemed  to  be  wood  signs.  Before  any 
wood  or  metal  sign  shall  be  placed  in  position  upon, 
above  or  attached  to  the  outside  of  any  building,  a 
permit  shall  first  be  obtained  from  the  Commissioner 
of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction.  Such  sign  shall  be 
so  constructed,  placed  and  supported  as  not  to  be 
or  become  dangerous.  All  signs  which  shall  be  dan- 
gerous in  any  manner  whatever,  shall  be  repaired  and 
made  safe  or  taken  down  by  the  owner,  lessee  or  oc- 
cupant of  the  building.  No  signs  or  bill  boards  of 
wood  or  metal  erected  upon  uprights  or  other  supports 
extending  into  the  ground  shall  be  at  any  point  more 
than  ten  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  the 
same  shall  be  properly  supported  and  braced. 

Piazzas  or  balconies  of  wood  on  buildings  other  than 


136 

frame  buildings  which  do  not  exceed  eight  feet  in 
width,  and  which  do  not  extend  more  than  three  feet 
above  tKe  second  story  floor  beams,  may  be  erected, 
provided  a  permit  from  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings 
having  jurisdiction,  be  granted  therefor.  In  connected 
houses  such  piazzas  or  balconies  may  be  built,  pro- 
vided the  same  are  open  on  the  front  and  have  brick 
ends  not  less  than  eight  inches  thick,  carried  up  above 
the  roof  of  such  piazza  or  balcony,  and  coped  with 
stone.  The  roofs  of  all  piazzas  shall  be  covered  with 
some  fireproof  material.  Frame  buildings  already 
erected  may  have  placed  on  any  story  piazzas,  balconies 
or  bay-windows  of  wood,  the  roofs  of  which  may  be 
covered  with  the  same  material  as  the  roof  of  the  main 
building. 

Exterior  privies,  and  wood  or  coal-houses,  not  ex- 
ceeding one  hundred  and  fifty  square  feet  in  super- 
ficial area  and  eight  feet  high,  may  be  built  of  wood, 
but  the  roofs  thereof  must  be  covered  with  metal,  gravel 
or  slate. 

Sec.  145.— Frame  Buildings  Damaged.  Every  wood 
or  frame  building  with  a  brick  or  other  front  within  the 
fire  limits,  which  may  hereafter  be  damaged  to  an 
amount  not  greater  than  one-half  of  the  value  thereof 
exclusive  of  the  valuation  of  the  foundation  thereof, 
at  the  time  of  such  damage,  may  be  repaired  or  re- 
built; but  if  such  damage  shall  amount  to  more  than 
one-half  of  such  value  thereof,  exclusive  of  the  value 
of  the  foundation,  then  such  building  shall  not  be 
repaired  or  rebuilt,  but  shall  be  taken  down,  except  as 
provided  in  this  Code.  In  case  the  owner  of  the  dam- 
aged building  shall  be  dissatisfied  with  the  decision  of 
the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction  that 
such  building  is  damaged  to  a  greater  extent  than  one- 


137 

half  of  its  value,  exclusive  of  the  value  of  the  founda- 
tion, then  the  amount  and  extent  of  such  damage  shall 
be  determined  upon  an  examination  of  the  building  by 
one  surveyor  who  shall  be  appointed  by  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction,  and  one  sur- 
veyor who  shall  be  appointed  by  the  owner  or  owners 
of  said  premises.  In  case  these  two  surveyors  do  not 
agree,  they  shall  appoint  a  third  surveyor  to  take  part 
in  such  examination,  and  a  decision  of  a  majority  of 
them  reduced  to  writing  and  sworn  to,  shall  be  con- 
clusive, and  such  building  shall  in  no  manner  be  re- 
paired or  rebuilt  until  after  such  decision  shall  have 
been  rendered. 

Sec.  146. — Frame  Buildings,  Outside  of  Fire  Limits. 
The  provisions  of  this  section  shall  apply  to  frame 
or  other  buildings  hereafter  erected  outside  of  the  fire 
limits,  as  the  same  are  now  or  may  hereafter  be  estab- 
lished, in  portions  of  The  City  of  New  York  where 
streets  are  now  and  where  they  may  hereafter  be  legally 
established.  Three-story  frame  buildings  may  be  erect- 
ed to  a  height  of  forty  feet,  said  height  being  taken  from 
the  curb-line,  where  same  exists,  at  the  centre  of  front 
or  side  of  building  on  which  main  entrance  to  upper 
floors  is  located.  Where  the  walls  of  a  building  do 
not  adjoin  the  street  or  building  line  then  the  average 
level  of  the  ground  on  which  the  building  stands  may  be 
taken  in  place  of  the  curb-line.  The  measurement  for 
height  shall  be  to  the  highest  point  of  roof-beams  in 
case  of  flat-roof,  buildings,  and  to  the  average  height  of 
gable  or  roof  in  case  of  pitched  roofs.  Towers,  turrets 
and  minarets  of  wood  may  be  erected  to  a  height  not  to 
exceed  fifteen  feet  greater  than  the  foregoing  limited 
height,  except  that  the  spires  of  churches  may  be 
erected  of  wood  to  a  height  not  exceeding  ninety  feet 


138 

from  the  ground.  All  footings  or  bottom  stones  shall 
be  at  least  six  inches  wider  on  each  side  than  bottom 
width  of  foundation  walls  above,  except  where  the  out- 
side of  the  foundation  wall  sets  on  the  property  line, 
in  which  case  six  inches  wider  on  the  inside  shall  be 
sufficient  The  thickness  of  footings  shall  be  not  less 
than  eight  inches,  if  of  stone,  and  not  less  than  twelve 
inches  if  of  concrete. 

Foundations  for  frame  structures  shall  be  laid  not 
less  than  four  feet  below  the  finished  surface  of  the  earth 
or  upon  the  surface  where  there  is  rock  bottom,  or 
upon  piles  or  ranging  timbers  where  found  necessary. 
The  foundation  walls  of  frame  structures  exceeding 
fifteen  feet  in  height,  if  of  stone,  shall  be  not  less  than 
eighteen  inches  thick,  and  if  of  brick,  not  less  than 
twelve  inches  to  the  grade  and  eight  inches  thick  to 
the  under  side  of  the  sill.  If  the  foundation  and  first 
story  walls  are  constructed  of  brick  the  foundation  walls 
shall  be  not  less  than  twelve  inches  thick  to  the  first 
tier  of  beams  and  eight  inches  thick  from  first  tier 
to  second  tier  of  beams;  or  if  these  walls  are  con- 
structed of  stone  they  shall  be  not  less  than  twenty 
inches  for  the  foundation  wall  and  eighteen  inches 
for  the  first  story  wall;  and  if  the  walls  are  faced 
with  stone  ashlar  the  total  thickness  shall  be  four 
inches  greater  than  in  this  section  specified.  In  the 
foundation  walls  there  may  be  recesses  not  more  than 
eight  feet  long  for  stairs,  with  brick  walls  not  less  than 
eight  inches  thick.  All  chimneys  in  frame  buildings 
shall  be  built  of  brick  or  stone  or  other  fireproof  ma- 
terial. If  of  brick  the  flues  shall  have  walls  at  least 
eight  inches  thick,  except  where  flues  are  lined  with 
burnt-clay  pipe,  in  which  case  the  walls  around  flues 
may  be  four  inches  thick.  All  flue  linings  shall  extend 


139 

at  least  one  foot  above  the  roof  boards.  Where 
chimneys  are  built  of  stone  the  walls  of  the  flues  shall 
be  not  less  than  eight  inches  on  all  sides,  and  shall  be 
lined  with  burnt-clay  pipe.  All  chimneys  shall  be 
topped  out  at  least  four  feet  above  the  highest  point 
of  contact  with  the  roof,  and  be  properly  capped. 
Chimneys  in  party  walls  or  serving  two  rooms  on  the 
same  floor  may  be  built  in  the  walls  or  partitions;  else- 
where, they  shall  be  built  inside  of  the  frame,  except 
in  the  case  of  ornamental  or  exposed  chimneys.  In  no 
case  shall  a  frame  building  be  erected  within  three 
feet  of  the  side  or  rear  line  of  a  lot,  unless  the  space 
between  the  studs  on  any  such  side  be  filled  in  solidly 
with  not  less  than  two  and  one-half  inches  of  brickwork 
or  other  fireproof  material.  When  two  or  more  such 
buildings  are  built  continuous  the  party  or  division 
studding  shall  be  not  less  than  four  inches  thfck  and 
filled  in  solidly  with  brickwork  or  other  fireproof  ma- 
terial extending  to  the  under  side  of  roof  boards.  When 
the  division  walls  are  of  brick  they  shall  be  not  less 
than  eight  inches  thick  above  the  foundation  wall  and 
extending  to  under  side  of  roof  boards,  and  the  ends 
of  the  floor  beams  shall  be  so  separated  that  four  inches 
of  brick  will  be  between  the  beams  where  they  rest  on 
said  walls.  The  sills  of  all  frame  dwellings,  except 
where  the  first  floor  is  used  for  store  or  business  pur- 
poses, shall  be  not  less  than  two  feet  above  the  ground 
to  the  under  side  of  same.  All  frame  or  wood  buildings 
exceeding  a  height  of  fifteen  feet  shall  be  built  with 
sills,  posts,  girts,  plates  and  rafters,  all  of  suitable  size 
and  properly  framed  and  braced  with  suitable  studs  or 
planks,  set  at  proper  distance  apart;  but  this  shall  not 
prohibit  the  use  of  balloon-framing.  The  floor  beams 
and  rafters  shall  be  not  less  than  two  inches  in  thick- 
ness. The  covering  of  roofs  may  be  of  shingle  .  The  wajls 


140 

of  light,  vent  and  dumb-waiter  shafts,  whether  exterior 
or  interior,  in  frame  buildings  may  be  constructed  of 
frame.  Posts  of  locust  or  other  hard  wood  and  wood 
girders  may  be  used  instead  of  brick  fore-and-aft  par- 
titions in  cellars  of  frame  buildings,  and  it  shall  not  be 
necessary  to  use  metal  or  wire  lath  for  the  ceilings  of 
cellars  or  lowest  floors  of  any  frame  building.  The 
cellar  stairs  in  frame  buildings  may  be  placed  directly 
under  main  stairs,  and  no  brick  wall  shall  be  neces- 
sary to  inclose  the  same;  nor  shall  areas  be  required  to 
be  built  across  the  front  of  frame  buildings,  except 
where  the  cellar  or  basement  is  used  for  living  purposes. 
The  regulations  governing  plumbing,  drainage  and 
heating,  also  steam  and  hot-air  pipes  and  registers, 
where  same  extend  through  or  along  stud  partitions, 
shall  also  apply  to  frame  buildings.  Frame  buildings 
may  be  altered,  extended,  raised  or  repaired,  provided 
the  new  portions  comply  with  the  provisions  of  this 
section.  No  frame  building  exceeding  three  stories  in 
height  shall  hereafter  be  erected  to  be  occupied  by 
more  than  six  families,  nor  shall  any  frame  building 
already  erected,  be  altered  to  be  occupied  by  more 
than  six  families,  nor  more  than  three  stories  in  height. 
Outside  of  the  fire  limits,  when  any  brick  or  stone 
building  is  to  be  erected  of  a  class  that  could,  under 
this  Code,  be  constructed  of  wood,  the  Commissioner  of 
Buildings  having  jurisdiction  is  hereby  authorized  and 
directed  to  allow  reasonable  modifications  of  this  Code 
relating  to  brick  buildings,  in  consideration  of  incom- 
bustible material  being  used  for  walls  instead  of  wood. 

Sec.  147.— Frame  Buildings;  Where  Streets  Are  Not 
Established.  Within  portions  of  The  City  of  New 
York  where  streets  have  not  been  or  are  not  legally 
established  and  are  outside  of  the  prescribed  fire  limits, 


141 

no  building  or  structure  other  than  small  outhouses 
shall  be  erected  without  first  filing  plans  and  a  detailed 
statement  of  the  proposed  construction  and  obtaining 
an  approval  therefor,  as  provided  in  Section  4  of  this 
Code.  Within  the  said  portions  of  The  City  of  New 
York,  hotels,  tenement  houses  for  occupancy  by  not 
more  than  six  families,  and  places  of  public  assembly 
may  be  built  of  wood,  but  shall  in  all  other  respects 
comply  with  the  several  provisions  of  this  Code  relating 
to  such  structures;  but  for  all  other  buildings  or  struc- 
tures only  so  much  of  the  requirements,  regulations 
and  restrictions  of  this  Code  shall  apply  as  in  the 
opinion  of  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  juris- 
diction may  be  necessary  for  safety  and  health.  The 
purpose  of  this  section  is  to  permit  greater  freedom  in 
construction  and  in  plumbing  and  drainage  of  buildings 
in  the  outlying  and  undeveloped  portions  of  The  City 
of  New  York  than  in  those  portions  where  a  street  sys- 
tem has  been  adopted  by  the  municipality  or  estab- 
lished by  law. 


PART  XXIX. 

APPEALS  AND  MODIFICATIONS  OF  LAW. 

Sec.  148. — The  Board  of  Buildings.  Each  Commis- 
sioner of  Buildings  shall  have  power,  with  the  approval 
of  the  Board,  to  vary  or  modify  any  rule  or  regulation 
of  the  Board,  or  the  provisions  of  Chapter  12  of  the 
Greater  New  York  Charter,  or  of  any  existing  law  or 
ordinance  relating  to  the  construction,  alteration  or 
removal  of  any  building  or  structure  erected  or  to  be 
erected  within  his  jurisdiction,  pursuant  to  the  provi- 
sions of  Section  650  of  the  Greater  New  York  Charter. 


142 

Sec.  149. — Board  of  Examiners.  The  Board  of  Ex- 
aminers for  the  Boroughs  of  Manhattan  and  The  Bronx 
shall  be  constituted  as  prescribed  by  Section  649  of  the 
Greater  New  York  Charter.  Each  of  said  examiners 
shall  take  the  usual  oath  of  office  before  entering  upon 
his  duties.  No  member  of  said  Board  shall  pass  upon 
any  question  in  which  he  is  pecuniarily  interested.  The 
said  Board  shall  meet  as  often  as  once  in  each  week 
upon  notice  from  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings. 

The  members  of  said  Board  of  Examiners,  and  the 
Clerk  of  said  Board,  shall  each  be  entitled  to  and  shall 
receive  ten  dollars  for  each  attendance  at  a  meeting  of 
said  Board,  to  be  paid  by  the  Comptroller  from  the 
annual  appropriation  to  be  made  therefor  upon  the 
voucher  of  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  for  the 
Boroughs  of  Manhattan  and  The  Bronx. 


PART  XXX. 

VIOLATIONS  AND  PENALTIES.      COURTS  HAVING 
JURISDICTION. 

Sec.  150. — Violations  and  Penalties.  The  owner  or 
owners  of  any  building,  structure  or  part  thereof,  or 
wall,  or  any  platform,  staging  or  flooring  to  be  used 
for  standing  or  seating  purposes  where  any  violation  of 
this  Code  shall  be  placed,  or  shall  exist,  and  any  archi- 
tect, builder,  plumber,  carpenter  or  mason  who  may 
be  employed  or  assist  in  the  commission  of  any  such 
violation,  and  any  and  all  persons  who  shall  violate  any 
of  the  provisions  of  this  Code  or  fail  to  comply  there- 
with, or  any  requirement  thereof,  or  who  shall  violate 
or  fail  to  comply  with,  any  order  or  regulation  made 
thereunder,  or  who  shall  build  in  violation  of  any  de- 


143 

tailed  statement  of  specifications  or  plans,  submitted 
and  approved  thereunder,  or  of  any  certificate  or  permit 
issued  thereunder,  shall  severally,  for  each  and  every 
such  violation  and  non-compliance,  respectively,  for- 
feit and  pay  a  penalty  in  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars.  Ex- 
cept that  any  such  person  who  shall  violate  any  of  the 
provisions  of  this  Code  as  to  the  construction  of 
chimneys,  fire-places,  flues,  hot-air  pipes  and  furnaces, 
or  who  shall  violate  any  of  the  provisions  of  this  Code, 
with  reference  to  the  framing  or  trimming  of  timbers, 
girders,  beams,  or  other  woodwork  in  proximity  to 
chimney  flues  or  fire-places,  shall  forfeit  and  pay  a 
penalty  in  the  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars.  But  if  any 
said  violation  shall  be  removed  or  be  in  process  of 
removal  within  ten  days  after  the  service  of  a  notice 
as  hereinafter  prescribed,  the  liability  of  such  a  penalty 
shall  cease,  and  the  Corporation  Counsel,  on  request 
of  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction, 
shall  discontinue  any  action  pending  to  recover  the 
same,  upon  such  removal  or  the  completion  thereof 
within  a  reasonable  time.  Any  and  all  of  the  afore- 
mentioned persons  who  having  been  served  with  a 
notice  as  hereinafter  prescribed,  to  remove  any  viola- 
tion, or  comply  with  any  requirement  of  this  Code,  or 
with  any  order  or  regulation  made  thereunder,  shall 
fail  to  comply  with  said  notice  within  ten  days  after 
such  service  or  shall  continue  to  violate  any  require- 
ment of  this  Code  in  the  respect  named  in  said  notice 
shall  pay  a  penalty  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 
For  the  recovery  of  any  said  penalty  or  penalties  an 
action  may  be  brought  in  any  municipal  court,  or  court 
of  record,  in  said  city  in  the  name  of  The  City  of  New 
York;  and  whenever  any  judgment  shall  be  rendered 
therefor,  the  same  shall  be  collected  and  enforced,  as 
prescribed  and  directed  by  the  Code  of  Civil  Procedure 


144 

of  the  State  of  New  York.  The  Commissioner  of 
Buildings  having  jurisdiction,  through  the  Corporation 
Counsel,  is  hereby  authorized,  in  his  discretion,  good 
and  sufficient  cause  being  shown  therefor,  to  remit  any 
fine  or  fines,  penalty  or  penalties,  which  any  person  or 
persons  may  have  incurred,  or  may  hereafter  incur, 
under  any  of  the  provisions  of  this  Code ;  but  no  fine  or 
penalty  shall  be  remitted  for  any  such  violation  until  the 
violation  shall  have  been  removed.  Said  remission 
shall  also  operate  as  the  remission  of  the  costs  obtained 
in  such  action. 

Sec.  151. — Courts  Having  Jurisdiction.  All  courts  of 
civil  jurisdiction  in  The  City  of  New  York  shall  have 
cognizance  of  and  jurisdiction  over  any  and  all  suits 
and  proceedings  by  this  Code  authorized  to  be  brought 
for  the  recovery  of  any  penalty  and  the  enforcement 
of  any  of  the  several  provisions  of  this  Code,  and  shall 
give  preference  to  such  suits  and  proceedings  over  all 
others,  and  no  court  shall  lose  jurisdiction  of  any  action 
by  reason  of  a  plea  that  the  title  to  real  estate  is  in- 
volved, provided  the  object  of  the  action  is  to  recover 
a  penalty  for  the  violation  of  any  of  the  provisions  of 
this  Code.  The  Corporation  Counsel  is  authorized  to 
institute  any  and  all  actions  and  proceedings,  either 
legal  or  equitable  that  may  be  appropriate  or  necessary 
for  the  enforcement  of  the  provisions  of  this  Code,  and 
all  civil  courts  in  said  city  are  hereby  invested  with  full 
legal  and  equitable  jurisdiction  to  hear,  try  and  deter- 
mine all  such  actions  and  proceedings,  and  to  make 
appropriate  orders  and  render  judgment  therein  accord- 
ing to  law,  so  as  to  give  force  and  effect  to  the  provi- 
sions of  this  Code.  Whenever  the  Commissioner  of 
Buildings  having  jurisdiction  is  satisfied  that  any  build- 
ing or  structure,  or  any  portion  thereof,  or  any  drainage 


145 

or  plumbing,  the  erection,  construction  or  alteration, 
execution  or  repair  of  which  is  regulated,  permitted 
or  forbidden  by  this  Code,  is  being  erected,  constructed, 
altered  or  repaired,  or  has  been  erected,  constructed, 
altered  or. repaired,  in  violation  of,  or  not  in  compliance 
with,  any  of  the  provisions  or  requirements  of  this 
Code,  or  in  violation  of  any  detailed  statement  of  speci- 
fications or  plans  submitted  and  approved  thereunder, 
or  of  any  certificate  or  permit  issued  thereunder,  or 
that  any  provision  or  requirement  of  this  Code,  or  any 
order  or  direction  made  thereunder  has  not  been  com- 
plied with,  or  that  plans  and  specifications  for  plumbing 
and  drainage  have  not  been  submitted  or  filed  as  re- 
quired by  this  Code,  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings 
having  jurisdiction  may  in  his  discretion  through  the 
Corporation  Counsel  institute  any  appropriate  action  or 
proceeding,  at  law  or  in  equity,  to  restrain,  correct  or 
remove  such  violation,  or  the  execution  of  any  work 
thereon,  or  to  restrain  or  correct  the  erection  or  altera- 
tion of,  or  to  require  the  removal  of,  or  to  prevent  the 
occupation  or  use  of,  the  building  or  structure  erected, 
constructed  or  altered,  in  violation  of,  or  not  in  com- 
pliance with  any  of  the  provisions  of  this  Code,  or 
with  respect  to  which  the  requirements  of  this  Code, 
or  of  any  order  or  direction  made  pursuant  to  any 
provisions  contained  in  this  Code,  shall  not  have  been 
co'mplied  with.  In  any  such  action  or  proceeding  The 
City  of  New  York  may,  in  the  discretion  of  the  Com- 
missioner of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction  and  on  his 
affidavit  setting  forth  the  facts,  apply  to  any  court  of 
record  in  said  city,  or  to  a  judge  or  justice  thereof,  for 
an  order  enjoining  and  restraining  all  persons  from  do- 
ing, or  causing  or  permitting  to  be  done,  any  work  in 
or  upon  such  building  or  structure,  or  in  or  upon  such 
part  thereof  as  may  be  designated  in  said  affidavit,  or 


146 

from  occupying  or  using  said  building  or  structure,  or 
such  portion  thereof  as  may  be  designated  in  said 
affidavit  for  any  purpose  whatever,  until  the  hear- 
ing and  determination  of  said  action  rnd  the  entry 
of  final  judgment  therein.  The  court,  or  judge  or 
justice  thereof,  to  whom  such  application  is  made,  is 
hereby  authorized  forthwith  to  make  any  or  all  of 
the  orders  above  specified,  as  may  be  required  in  such 
application,  with  or  without  notice,  and  to  make  such 
other  or  further  orders  or  directions  as  may  be  neces- 
sary to  render  the  same  effectual.  No  officer  of  said 
Department  of  Buildings,  acting  in  good  faith  and 
without  malice  shall  be  liable  for  damages  by  reason  of 
anything  done  in  any  such  action  or  proceeding.  No 
undertaking  shall  be  required  as  a  condition  to  the 
granting  or  issuing  of  such  injunction  order,  or  by 
reason  thereof.  All  courts  in  which  any  suit  or  pro- 
ceeding is  instituted  under  this  Code,  shall  upon  the 
rendition  of  a  verdict,  report  of  a  referee,  or  decision 
of  a  judge  or  justice,  render  judgment  in  accordance 
therewith;  and  the  said  judgment  so  rendered,  shall  be 
and  become  a  lien  upon  the  premises  named  in  the  com- 
plaint in  any  such  action,  to  date  from  the  time  of  filing 
in  a  County  Clerk's  office  in  The  City  of  New  York, 
where  the  property  affected  by  such  action,  suit,  or  pro- 
ceeding, is  located,  of  a  notice  of  lis  pendens  therein; 
which  lien  may  be  enforced  against  said  property,  in 
every  respect,  notwithstanding  the  same  may  be  trans- 
ferred subsequent  to  the  filing  of  the  said  notice.  Said 
notice  of  lis  pendens  shall  consist  of  a  copy  of  the 
notice  issued  by  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having 
jurisdiction  requiring  the  removal  of  the  violation  and  a 
notice  of  the  suit  or  proceedings  instituted,  or  to  be 
instituted  thereon,  and  said  notice  of  lis  pendens  may 
be  filed  at  any  time  after  the  service  of  the  notice  issued 


147 

by  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  as  aforesaid,  pro- 
vided he  may  deem  the  same  to  be  necessary,  or  is 
satisfied  that  the  owner  of  the  property  is  about  to 
transfer  the  same  to  avoid  responsibility  for  having 
violated  the  provisions  of  this  Code  or  some  one  of  its 
provisions.  Any  notice  of  lis  rendens  filed  pursuant 
to  the  provisions  of  this  Code,  may  be  vacated  and  can- 
celed of  record;  upon  an  order  of  a  judge  or  justice  of 
the  court  in  which  such  suit  or  proceeding  was  in- 
stituted or  is  pending,  or  upon  the  consent  in  writing 
of  the  Corporation  Counsel,  and  the  clerk  of  the  said 
county  where  such  notice  is  filed,  is  hereby  directed 
and  required  to  mark  any  such  notice  of  lis  pendens  and 
any  record  or  docket  thereof  as  vacated  and  canceled 
of  record,  upon  the  presentation  and  filing  of  a  certified 
copy  of  an  order  as  aforesaid,  or  of  the  consent,  in 
writing,  of  said  Corporation  Counsel.  In  no  case  shall 
the  said  Department  of  Buildings,  or  any  officer  thereof, 
or  the  Corporation  of  The  City  of  New  York,  or  any 
defendant,  be  liable  for  costs  in  any  action,  suit  or  pro- 
ceedings that  may  have  been,  or  may  hereafter  be,  in- 
stituted or  commenced  in  pursuance  of  this  Code,  unless 
specially  ordered  and  allowed  against  any  defendant  or 
defendants,  by  a  court  or  justice,  in  the  course  of  such 
action,  suit  or  proceeding. 

Sec.  152. — Notice  of  Violations  of  Code;  Service  of 
Papers.  All  notices  of  the  violation  of  any  of  the  provi- 
sions of  this  Code,  and  all  notices  directing  anything 
to  be  done,  required  by  this  Code,  and  all  other  notices 
that  may  be  required  or  authorized  to  be  issued  there- 
under, including  notice  that  any  building,  structure, 
premises,  or  any  part  thereof,  are  deemed  unsafe  or 
dangerous,  shall  be  issued  by  the  Commissioner  of 
Buildings  having  jurisdiction,  and  shall  have  his  name 


148 

affixed  thereto,  and  may  be  served  by  any  officer  or  em- 
ploye of  the  Department  of  Buildings  or  by  any  per- 
son authorized  by  the  said  Department.  All  such 
notices,  and  any  notice  or  order  issued  by  any  court 
in  any  proceeding  instituted  pursuant  to  this  Code  to 
restrain  or  remove  any  violation,  or  to  enforce  com- 
pliance with  any  provision  or  requirement  of  this  Code, 
may  be  served  by  delivering  to  and  leaving  a  copy  of  the 
same  with  any  person  or  persons  violating,  or  who 
may  be  liable  under  any  of  the  several  provisions  of 
this  Code,  or  to  whom  the  same  may  be  addressed, 
and  if  such  person  or  persons  cannot  be  found  after 
diligent  search  shall  have  been  made  for  him  or  them, 
then  such  notice  or  order  may  be  served  by  posting 
the  same  in.  a  conspicuous  place  upon  the  premises 
where  such  violation  is  alleged  to  have  been  placed 
or  to  exist,  or  to  which  such  notice  or  order  may  refer, 
or  which  may  be  deemed  unsafe  or  dangerous,  which 
shall  be  equivalent  to  a  personal  service  of  said  notice 
or  order  upon  all  parties  for  whom  such  search  shall 
have  been  made.  Such  notice  or  order  shall  contain  a 
description  of  the  building,  premises  or  property  on 
which  such  violation  shall  have  been  put  or  may  exist, 
or  which  may  be  deemed  unsafe  or  dangerous,  or  to 
which  such  notice  or  order  may  refer.  If  the  person 
or  persons  or  any  of  them,  to  whom  said  notice  or 
order  is  addressed,  do  not  reside  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  and  have  no  known  place  of  business  therein,  the 
same  may  be  served  by  delivering  to  and  leaving  with 
such  person  or  persons,  or  either  of  them,  a  copy  of 
said  notice  or  order,  or  if  said  person  or  persons  can- 
not be  found  within  said  State  after  diligent  search, 
then  by  posting  a  copy  of  the  same  in  manner  as  afore- 
said and  depositing  a  copy  thereof  in  a  post-office  in  The 
City  of  New  York,  inclosed  in  a  sealed  wrapper  ad- 


149 

dressed  to  said  person  or  persons  at  his  or  their  last 
known  place  of  residence,  with  the  postage  p3td  there- 
on; and  said  posting  and  mailing  of  a  copy  of  said 
notice  or  order  shall  be  equivalent  to  personal  service 
of  said  notice  or  order. 


PART  XXXI. 

UNSAFE  BUILDINGS,   SURVEYS,  COURT  PROCEEDINGS. 

Sec.  153. — Unsafe  Buildings.  Any  building  or  build- 
ings, part  or  parts  of  a  building,  staging  or  other 
structure  in  The  City  of  New  York,  that  from  any 
cause  may  now  be,  or  shall  at  any  time  hereafter  be- 
come dangerous  or  unsafe,  may  be  taken  down  and 
removed,  or  made  safe  and  secure,  in  the  manner  fol- 
lowing: Immediately  upon  such  unsafe  or  dangerous 
building  or  buildings,  or  part  or  parts  of  a  building, 
staging  or  structure  being  so  reported  by  any  of  the 
officers  of  said  Department  of  Buildings,  the  same 
shall  be  immediately  entered  upon  a  docket  of  unsafe 
buildings  to  be  kept  by  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings 
having  jurisdiction;  and  the  owner,  or  some  one  of  the 
owners,  executors,  administrators,  agents,  lessees,  or 
any  other  person  or  persons  who  may  have  a  vested  or 
contingent  interest  in  the  same,  may  be  served  with  a 
printed  or  written  notice  containing  a  description  of 
the  premises  or  structure  deemed  unsafe  or  dangerous, 
requiring  the  same  to  be  made  safe  and  secure,  or  re- 
moved, as  the  same  may  be  deemed  necessary  by  the 
Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction,  which 
said  notice  shall  require  the  person  or  persons  thus 
served  to  immediately  certify  to  the  said  Commissioner 
his  or  their  assent  or  refusal  to  secure  or  remove  the 
same. 


150 

Sec.  154. — Surveys  on  Unsafe  Buildings.  If  the  per- 
son or  persons  so  served  with  notice  shall  immediately 
certify  his  or  their  assent  to  the  securing  or  removal 
of  said  unsafe  or  dangerous  building,  premises  or  struc- 
ture, he  or  they  shall  be  allowed  until  one  o'clock  P.  M. 
of  the  day  following  the  service  of  such  notice,  in  which 
to  commence  the  securing  or  removal  of  the  same; 
and  he  or  they  shall  employ  sufficient  labor  and  as- 
sistance to  secure  or  remove  the  same  as  expeditiously 
as  the  same  can  be  done;  but  upon  his  or  their  re- 
fusal or  neglect  to  comply  with  any  of  the  requirements 
of  said  notice  so  served  a  further  notice  shall  be  served 
upon  the  person  or  persons  heretofore  named,  and  in 
the  manner  heretofore  prescribed,  notifying  him  or 
them  that  a  survey  of  the  premises  named  in  the  said 
notice  will  be  made  at  the  time  and  place  therein 
named,  which  time  may  not  be  less  than  twenty-four 
hours  nor  more  than  three  days  from  the  time  of  the 
service  of  said  notice,  by  three  competent  persons,  one  of 
whom  shall  be  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having 
jurisdiction,  or  a  Superintendent  of  Buildings,  or  an 
Inspector,  designated  in  writing  by  said  Commissioner, 
another  of  whom  shall  be  an  architect,  appointed  by 
the  New  York  Chapter  of  the  American  Institute  of 
Architects  for  the  Boroughs  of  Manhattan,  The  Bronx 
and  Richmond,  and  by  the  Brooklyn  Chapter  of  the 
American  Institute  of  Architects  for  the  Boroughs  of 
Brooklyn  and  Queens,  depending  upon  the  borough  or 
boroughs  in  which  the  property  is  located,  another  of 
whom  shall  be  appointed  by  the  person  or  persons  thus 
notified,  and  who  shall  be  a  practical  builder  or  archi- 
tect, upon  whose  neglect  or  refusal  to  appoint  such 
surveyor,  however,  the  said  other  two  surveyors  may 
make  such  survey;  and  in  case  of  a  disagreement  of 
the  latter,  they  shall  appoint  a  third  person  to  take  part 


in  such  survey,  who  shall  also  be  a  practical  builder  or 
architect  of  at  least  ten  years'  practice,  and  the  deci- 
sion of  the  said  surveyor  shall  be  final;  and  that  in 
case  the  said  premises  shall  be  reported  unsafe  or  dan- 
gerous under  such  survey,  the  said  report  will  be  placed 
before  a  court  therein  named  having  jurisdiction  to  the 
extent  of  $1,000,  and  that  a  trial  upon  the  allegations 
and  statements  contained  in  said  report,  be  the  report  of 
said  surveyors  more  or  less  than  is  contained  in  the 
said  notice  of  survey,  will  be  had  before  said  court,  at  a 
time  and  place  therein  named,  to  determine  whether 
said  unsafe  or  dangerous  building  or  premises  shall  be 
repaired  and  secured  or  taken  down  and  removed;  and 
a  report  of  such  survey,  reduced  to  writing,  shall  con- 
stitute the  issue  to  be  placed  before  the  court  for  trial. 
A  copy  of  said  report  of  survey  shall  be  posted  on  the 
building  by  the  persons  holding  the  survey,  immediately 
on  their  signing  the  same.  The  architect  appointed  by 
the  Chapters  of  the  American  Institute  of  Architects 
as  hereinbefore  provided  who  may  act  on  any  survey 
called  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this  Code, 
shall  be  entitled  to,  and  receive  the  sum  of  twenty-five 
dollars,  to  be  paid  by  the  Comptroller  upon  the  voucher 
of  the  Board  of  Buildings.  And  a  cause  of  action  is 
hereby  created  for  the  benefit  of  The  City  of  New 
York  against  the  owner  or  owners  of  said  building, 
staging  or  structure,  and  of  the  lot  or  parcel  of  land 
on  which  the  same  is  situated,  for  the  amount  so  paid 
with  interest,  which  shall  be  prosecuted  in  the  name  of 
The  City  of  New  York,  by  the  Corporation  Counsel. 
The  amount  so  collected  shall  be  paid  over  to  the 
Comptroller  in  reimbursement  of  the  amounts  paid  by 
him  as  aforesaid. 

Sec.  IS5-— Court  Proceedings.     Whenever  the  report 


152 

of  any  such  survey,  had  as  aforesaid,  shall  recite  that 
the  building,  premises  or  structure  thus  surveyed  is 
unsafe  or  dangerous,  the  Corporation  Counsel  of  The 
City  of  New  York  shall  at  the  time  in  the  said  notice 
named,  place  said  notice  and  report  before  the  judge 
or  justice  holding  a  special  term  of  the  Court,  in  the 
said  notice  named,  which  said  judge  or  justice  shall  im- 
mediately proceed  to  obtain  and  impanel  a  jury,  and  to 
the  trial  of  said  issue  before  said  jury,  whose  verdict 
shall  be  exclusive  and  final,  and  shall  try  said  issue 
without  adjournment,  except  as  may  be  necessary  from 
day  to  day,  giving  precedence  to  the  trial  of  this  issue 
over  every  other  business,  and  said  judge  or  justice 
shall  have  power  to  impanel  a  jury,  for  that  purpose 
from  any  jurors  in  attendance  upon  said  court,  or  in 
case  sufficient  jurors  shall  not  be  in  attendance,  then 
from  any  jurors  that  may  be  summoned  for  that  pur- 
pose; and  said  judge  or  justice  shall  have  power  to 
summon  jurors  for  that  purpose;  and  any  such  suit  or 
proceeding  commenced  before  a  judge  or  justice  may 
be  continued  before  another  judge  or  justice  of  the 
same  court;  a  jury  trial  may  be  waived  by  the  de- 
fault of  the  defendant  or  defendants  to  appear  at  the 
time  and  place  named  in  the  said  notice,  or  by  agree- 
ment, and  in  such  case  the  trial  may  be  by  court,  judge, 
justice,  or  referee,  whose  report  or  decision  in  the 
matter  shall  be  final ;  and  upon  the  rendition  of  a  verdict 
or  decision  of  the  court,  judge,  justice,  or  referee,  if 
the  said  verdict  or  decision  shall  find  the  said  building, 
premises  or  structure  to  be  unsafe  or  dangerous,  the 
judge  or  justice  trying  said  cause,  or  to  whom  the 
report  of  the  referee  trying  said  cause  shall  be  pre- 
sented, shall  immediately  issue  a  precept  out  of  said 
court,  directed  to  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings,  hav- 
ing jurisdiction,  reciting  said  verdict  or  decision,  and 


153 

jmmanding  him  forthwith  to  repair  and  secure  or  take 
down  or  remove,  as  the  case  may  be,  in  accordance  with 
said  verdict  or  decision,  said  unsafe  or  dangerous  build- 
ing, buildings,  part  or  parts  thereof,  staging,  structure  or 
other  premises  that  shall  have  been  named  in  the  said 
report;  and  said  Commissioner  of  Buildings  shall  im- 
mediately thereupon  proceed  to  execute  said  precept 
as  therein  directed,  and  may  employ  such  labor  and 
assistance  and  furnish  such  materials  as  may  be  neces- 
sary for  that  purpose,  and  after  having  done  so,  said 
Commissioner  of  Buildings  shall  make  return  of  said 
precept,  with  an  indorsement  of  the  action  thereunder 
and  the  cost  and  expenses  thereby  incurred,  to  the  judge 
or  justice  then  holding  the  said  special  term  of  the 
said  court,  and  thereupon  said  judge  or  justice  shall 
tax  and  adjust  the  amount  indorsed  upon  said  precept, 
and  shall  adj-ust  and  allow  disbursements  of  said  pro- 
ceeding, together  with  the  preliminary  expenses  of 
searches  and  surveys,  which  shall  be  inserted  in  the 
judgment  in  said  action  or  proceeding,  and  shall  render 
judgment  for  such  amount,  and  for  the  sale  of  the  said 
premises  in  the  said  notice  named,  together  with  all 
the  right,  title  and  interest  that  the  person  or  persons, 
or  either  of  them,  named  in  the  said  notice  had  in  the 
lot,  ground  or  land  upon  which  the  said  building  or 
structure  was  placed,  at  the  time  of  the  filing  of  a 
notice  of  lis  pendens  in  the  said  proceedings,  or  at  the 
time  of  the  entry  of  judgment  therein  to  satisfy  the 
same,  which  shall  be  in  the  same  manner  and  with  like 
effect  as  sales  under  judgment  in  foreclosure  of 
mortgages;  and  in  and  about  all  preliminary  proceed- 
ings, as  well  as  the  carrying  into  effect  any  order  of 
the  Court  or  any  precept  issued  by  any  court,  said  Com- 
missioner of  Buildings  may  make  requisition  upon  the 
Comptroller  of  The  City  of  New  York  for  such  amount 


154 

or  amounts  of  money  as  shall  be  necessary  to  meet  the 
expenses  thereof;  and  upon  the  same  being  approved 
by  any  judge  or  justice  of  the  court  from  which  the 
said  order  or  precept  was  issued  and  presented  to 
said  Comptroller,  he  shall  pay  the  same,  and  for  that 
purpose  shall  borrow  and  raise,  upon  revenue  bonds,  to 
be  issued  as  provided  in  Section  188  of  the  Greater 
New  York  Charter,  the  several  amounts  that  may  from 
time  to  time  be  required,  which  shall  be  reimbursed 
by  the  payment  of  the  amount  and  interest  at  six  per 
cent,  out  of  the  judgment  or  judgments  obtained  as 
aforesaid,  if  the  same  shall  be  collected.  In  case  said 
issue  shall  not  be  tried  at  the  time  specified  in  said 
notice,  or  to  which  the  trial  may  be  adjourned,  the  same 
may  be  brought  to  trial  at  any  time  thereafter  by  the 
said  Commissioner  of  Buildings,  without  a  new  survey, 
upon  not  less  than  three  days'  notice  of  trial  to  the 
person  or  persons  upon  whom  the  original  rotice  was 
served,  or  to  his  or  their  attorney,  which  notice  of  trial 
may  be  served  in  the  same  manner  as  said  original 
notice.  The  notice  of  lis  pendens  provided  for  in  this 
section  shall  consist  of  a  copy  of  said  notice  of  survey, 
and  shall  be  filed  in  the  office  of  a  County  Clerk  in  The 
City  of  New  York,  in  the  County  where  the  property 
affected  by  such  action  suit  or  proceeding  is  located. 
Provided,  nevertheless,  that  immediately  upon  the 
issuing  of  said  precept,  the  owner  or  owners  of  said 
building,  staging  or  structure,  or  premises,  or  any  party 
interested  therein,  upon  application  to  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Buildings,  shall  be  allowed  to  perform  the 
requirements  of  said  precept  at  his  or  their  own  proper 
cost  and  expense,  provided  the  same  shall  be  done  im- 
mediately and  in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of 
said  precept,  upon  the  payment  of  all  costs  and  ex- 


155 

penses  incurred  up  to  that  time,  and  provided,  further, 
that  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction 
shall  have  authority  to  modify  the  requirements  of  said 
precept  upon  application  to  him  therefor,  in  writing, 
by  the  owner  or  owners  of  said  building,  staging  or 
structure,  or  his  or  their  representative,  when  he  shall 
be  satisfied  that  such  change  shall  secure  equally  well 
the  safety  of  said  building,  staging  or  structure. 

Sec.  156. — Application  for  Order  to  Remove  Viola- 
tions and  to  Vacate  Buildings.  In  case  any  notice  or  di- 
rection authorized  to  be  issued  by  this  Code  is  not  com- 
plied with  within  the  time  designated  in  said  notice,  The 
City  of  New  York  by  the  Corporation  Counsel  may,  at 
the  request  of  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having 
jurisdiction,  apply  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  New  York, 
at  a  special  term  thereof,  for  an  order  directing  said 
Commissioner  to  proceed  to  make  the  alterations  or  re- 
move the  violation  or  violations,  as  the  same  may  be 
specified  in  said  notice  or  direction.  Whenever  any 
notice  or  direction  so  authorized,  shall  have  been  served 
as  directed  in  this  Code,  and  the  same  shall  not  have 
been  complied  with  within  the  time  designated  therein, 
the  Corporation  Counsel  may,  at  the  request  of  the 
Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  jurisdiction,  in  ad- 
dition to,  or  in  lieu  of  the  remedy  last  above  pro- 
vided, apply  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  New  York,  at  a 
special  term  thereof,  for  an  order  directing  the  said  Com- 
missioner to  vacate  such  building  or  premises,  or  so 
much  thereof  as  said  Commissioner  may  deem  neces- 
sary, and  prohibiting  the  same  to  be  used  or  occupied 
for  any  purpose  specified  in  said  order  until  such  notice 
shall  have  been  complied  with.  The  expenses  and  dis- 
bursements incurred  in  the  carrying  out  of  any  said 
order  or  orders,  shall  become  a  lien  upon  said 


156 

building  or  premises  named  in  the  said  notice, 
from  the  time  of  filing  of  a  copy  of  the  said  notice, 
with  a  notice  of  the  pendency  of  the  action  or  pro 
ceeding  as  provided  in  this  Code,  taken  thereunder,  in 
the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  County  where  the  property 
affected  by  such  action,  suit  or  proceeding  is  located; 
and  the  said  Supreme  Court,  or  a  judge  or  justice  there- 
of, to  whom  application  shall  be  made,  is  hereby  au- 
thorized and  directed  to  grant  any  of  the  orders  above 
named,  and  to  take  such  proceedings  as  shall  be  neces- 
sary to  make  the  same  effectual,  and  any  said  judge  or 
justice  to  whom  application  shall  be  made  is  hereby 
authorized  and  directed  to  enforce  such  lien  in  accord- 
ance with  the  mechanics'  lien  laws  applicable  to  The 
City  of  New  York;  and  in  case  any  of  the  notices 
herein  mentioned  shall  be  served  upon  any  lessee  or 
party  in  possession  of  the  building  or  premises  therein 
described,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  person  upon  whom 
such  service  is  made  to  give  immediate  notice  to  the 
owner  or  agent  of  said  building  named  in  the  notice, 
if  the  same  shall  be  known  to  the  said  person  personally, 
if  such  person  shall  be  within  the  limits  of  The  City  of 
New  York,  and  his  residence  known  to  such  person, 
and  if  not  within  said  city,  then  by  depositing  a  copy 
of  said  notice  in  any  post-office  in  The  City  of  New 
York,  properly  inclosed  and  addressed  to  such  owner 
or  agent,  at  his  then  place  of  residence,  if  known,  and 
by  paying  the  postage  thereon;  and  in  case  any  lessee 
or  party  in  possession  shall  neglect  or  refuse  to  give 
such  notice  as  herein  provided,  he  shall  be  personally 
liable  to  the  owner  or  owners  of  saicj  building  or 
premises  for  all  damages  he  or  they  shall  sustain  by 
reason  thereof. 


157 

PART  XXXII. 

RECOVERY  OF  BODIES  UNDER  FALLEN  BUILDINGS. 

Sec.  157. — Recovery  of  Bodies  Under  Fallen  Build- 
ings. In  case  of  the  falling  of  any  building  or  part 
thereof  in  The  City  of  New  York,  where  persons  are 
known  or  believed  to  be  buried  under  the  ruins  thereof, 
it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Fire  Department  to  cause 
an  examination  of  the  premises  to  be  made  for  the  re- 
covery of  the  bodies  of  the  killed  and  injured.  When- 
ever, in  making  such  examination,  it  shall  be  necessary 
to  remove  from  the  premises  any  debris,  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  the  Commissioners  of  the  Department  of  Docks, 
of  the  Department  of  Parks,  of  the  Department  of  High- 
ways, and  of  the  Department  of  Street  Cleaning, 
when  called  upon  by  the  Department  of  Buildings  to 
co-operate,  to  provide  a  suitable  and  convenient  dump- 
ing place  for  the  deposit  of  such  debris.  In  case  there 
shall  be  in  the  opinion  of  the  Department  of  Build- 
ings, actual  and  immediate  danger  of  the  falling  of 
any  building  or  part  thereof  so  as  to  endanger  life  or 
property,  said  Department  shall  cause  the  necessary 
work  to  be  done  to  render  said  building  or  part 
thereof  temporarily  safe  until  the  proper  proceedings 
can  be  taken  as  in  the  case  of  an  unsafe  building  as 
provided  for  in  this  Code.  The  Department  of  Build- 
ings is  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  in  such  cases, 
and  also  where  any  building  or  part  thereof  has  fallen, 
and  life  is  endangered  by  the  occupation  thereof,  to 
order  and  require  the  inmates  and  occupants  of  such 
building  or  part  thereof  to  vacate  the  same  forthwith, 
and  said  Department  may,  when  necessary  for  the  pub- 
lic safety,  temporarily  close  the  sidewalks  and  streets 
adjacent  to  such  building  or  part  thereof,  and  prohibit 
the  same  from  being  used,  and  the  Police  Department, 


158 

when  called  upon  by  the  said  Department  of  Buildings 
to  co-operate,  shall  enforce  such  orders  or  require- 
ments. For  the  aforesaid  purposes  the  said  Fire  Depart- 
ment, or  the  Department  of  Buildings,  as  the  case  may 
be,  shall  employ  such  laborers  and  materials  as  may  be 
necessary  to  perform  said  work  as  speedily  as  possible. 


PART  XXXIII. 
FUND  FOR  USE  AND  BENEFIT  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF 

BUILDINGS. 

Sec.  158. — Fund  for  Use  and  Benefit  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Buildings.  The  Corporation  Counsel  shall  sue 
for  and  collect  all  penalties  and  take  charge  of  and 
conduct  all  legal  proceedings  imposed  or  provided  for 
by  this  Code;  and  all  suits  or  proceedings  instituted  for 
the  enforcement  of  any  of  the  several  provisions  of  the 
preceding  sections  of  this  Code  or  for  the  recovery  of 
any  penalty  thereunder  shall  be  brought  in  the  name 
of  The  City  of  New  York,  by  the  Corporation  Counsel, 
to  whom  all  notices  of  violation  shall  be  returned  for 
prosecution,  and  it  shall  be  his  duty  to  take  charge  of 
the  prosecution  of  all  such  suits  or  proceedings,  collect 
and  receive  all  moneys  that  may  be  collected  upon 
judgments,  suits  or  proceedings  so  instituted,  or  which 
may  be  paid  by  any  parties  who  have  violated  any  of 
the  provisions  of  this  Code  and  upon  settlement  of 
judgment  and  removal  of  violations  thereunder,  exe- 
cute satisfaction  therefor.  He  shall  on  the  first  day  of 
each  and  every  month  render  to  each  Commissioner 
of  Buildings  an  account  of  and  pay  over  to  the  Com- 
missioner having  jurisdiction,  the  amount  of  such  penal- 
ties and  costs  received  by  him  together  with  his  bill 
for  all  necessary  disbursements  incurred  or  paid  in  said 


159 

suits,  keeping  a  separate  account  for  each  Commis- 
sioner, and  each  Commissioner  shall  pay  over 
monthly  the  amount  of  such  penalties  and  costs 
so  collected  to  the  Comptroller  of  The  City  of 
New  York  as  a  fund  for  the  use  and  benefit  of 
the  Department  of  Buildings  for  the  purpose  of  pay- 
ing any  expense  incurred  by  said  Department,  under 
section  157  of  this  Code,  and  also  for  the  purpose  of 
carrying  into  effect  any  order  or  precept  issued  by  any 
court,  or  judge  or  justice  thereof,  in  this  Code  named, 
to  any  Commissioner  of  Buildings,  and  upon  the  requi- 
sition of  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings  having  juris- 
diction, said  Comptroller  shall  pay  such  sum  or  sums 
as  may  be  allowed  and  adjusted  by  any  court  of  record, 
or  a  judge  or  justice  thereof,  for  such  purposes,  as 
far  as  the  same  may  be  in  his  hands.  A  separate  account 
shall  be  kept  by  the  Comptroller  of  the  moneys  paid 
to  him  by  each  Commissioner,  and  no  such  moneys 
shall  be  paid  for  such  purposes  to  any  of  said  Com- 
missioners except  from  the  account  of  the  funds  re- 
ceived from  him. 

PART  XXXIV. 

SEAL.     OFFICERS  OF  DEPARTMENT  MAY  ENTER 
BUILDINGS. 

Sec.  159. — Seal.  The  Board  of  Buildings  may  adopt 
a  seal  and  direct  its  use  in  the  Department  of  Buildings. 

Sec.  160.— Officers  of  Department  May  Enter  Build- 
ings. All  the  officials  of  the  Department  of  Buildings, 
so  far  as  it  may  be  necessary  for  the  performance  of 
their  respective  duties,  have  the  right  to  enter  any  build- 
ing or  premises  in  said  city,  upon  showing  their  badge 
of  office. 


I6o 

PART  XXXV. 

EXISTING  SUITS  AND  LIABILITIES.    INVALIDITY  OF  ONE 
SECTION  NOT  TO  INVALIDATE  ANY  OTHER. 

Sec.  161.— Existing  Suits  and  Liabilities.  Nothing  in 
this  Code  contained  shall  be  construed  to  affect  any 
suit  or  proceeding  now  pending  in  any  court,  or  any 
rights  acquired,  or  liability  incurred,  nor  any  cause  or 
causes  of  action  accrued  or  existing,  under  any  act  or 
ordinance  repealed  hereby.  Nor  shall  any  right  or 
remedy  of  any  character  be  lost,  impaired  or  affected 
by  this  Code. 

Sec.  162. — Invalidity  of  One  Section  Not  to  Invali- 
date Any  Other.  The  invalidity  of  any  section  or  pro- 
vision of  this  Code  shall  not  invalidate  any  other  sec- 
tion or  provision  thereof. 


PART  XXXVI. 

ORDINANCES  REPEALED.    DATE  WHEN  ORDINANCE  TAKES 
EFFECT. 

Sec.  163. — Repealing  Section.  All  Ordinances  of  the 
former  Municipal  and  Public  Corporations  consoli- 
dated into  The  City  of  New  York  affecting  or  relating 
to  the  Construction,  Alteration  or  Removal  of  Build- 
ings or  other  Structures,  and  all  other  Ordinances  or 
parts  thereof  inconsistent  herewith  are  hereby  repealed. 

Sec.  164.— Date  When  Ordinance  is  to  Take  Effect. 
This  Ordinance  shall  take  effect  sixty  days  after  its  ap- 
proval by  the  Mayor, 


INDEX. 


PART  I. 

SHORT  TITLE  OF  THIS  ORDINANCE. 
A  REMEDIAL  ORDINANCE. 

PAGE 

Sec.  i.  This  Ordinance  to  be  known  and  cited  as 
the  Building  Code  and  presumptively 
contains  the  Building  Law,  except  so 
far  as  such  provisions  are  contained  in 
the  Charter 7 

Sec.      2.  Building  Code  to  be  Construed  Liberally.        7 

PART   II. 
PRELIMINARY  REQUIREMENTS. 

Sec.      3.  New     Buildings     and     Buildings    to     be 

Altered   7 

Sec.      4.  Filing  Plans  and  Statements 8 

Sec.      5.  Demolishing  Buildings 10 

PART  III. 
DEFINITIONS. 

Sec.      6.  Measurement    of    Height    for    Buildings 

and    Walls n 

Sec.      7.  Measurement  for  Width  of  Buildings....  n 

Sec.      8.  Private  Dwellings,   Definition  of n 

Sec.      9.  Apartment  Houses,  Definition  of 12 


162 

PAGE 

Sec.     10.  Hotels,  Definition  of 12 

Sec.     ii.  Office  Buildings,   Definition  of 13 

Sec.     12.  Frame  Buildings,  Definition  of 13 


PART  IV. 

QUALITY  OF  MATERIALS. 

Sec.     13.  Brick 13 

Sec.    14.  Sand   13 

Sec.     15.  Lime   Mortar 14 

Sec.     16.  Cement  Mortar 14 

Sec.     17.  Cement  and  Lime   Mortar 14 

Sec.    18.  Concrete 15 

Sec.     19.  Quality  of  Timber 15 

Sec.    20.  Tests  of  New  Materials 15 

Sec.    21.  Structural    Material 15 

PART  V. 
EXCAVATIONS  AND  FOUNDATIONS. 

Sec.    22.  Excavations    16 

Sec.    23.  Bearing  Capacity  of  Soil 19 

Sec.    24.  Pressure  Under  Footings  of  Foundations.  19 

Sec.    25.  Foundations    20 

Sec.    26.  Foundation  Walls 21 

PART  VI. 
WALLS,  PIERS  AND  PARTITIONS. 

Sec.    27.  Materials  of  Walls 24 

Sec.    28.  Walls  and  Piers 24 

Sec.    29.  Ashlar 26 

Sec.    30.  Mortar  for  Walls  and  Ashlar 26 


1 63 

PAGE 

Sec.  31.  Walls  for  Dwelling  Houses 27 

Sec.  32.  Walls  for  Warehouses 30 

Sec.  33.  Increased  Thicknesses  for  Walls  of  Build- 
ings more  than  105  Feet  in  Depth....  33 
Sec.  34.  Reduced  Thicknesses  for  Interior  Walls..  33 

Sec.  35.  One-story   Brick   Buildings 34 

Sec.  36.  Inclosure  Walls  for  Skeleton  Structures..  34 

Sec.  37.  Curtain    Walls 34 

Sec.  38.  Existing  Party  Walls 35 

Sec.  39.  Lining  Existing  Walls 35 

Sec.  40.  Walls  of  Unfinished  Buildings 36 

Sec.  41.  Walls  Tied,  Anchored  and  Braced 36 

Sec.  42.  Arches  and  Lintels 37 

Sec.  43.  Parapet  Walls 37 

Sec.  44.  Hollow    Walls 38 

Sec.  45.  Hollow  Bricks  on  Inside  of  Walls 38 

Sec.  46.  Recesses  and  Chases  in  Walls 38 

Sec.  47.  Furred  Walls 39 

Sec.  48.  Light  and  Vent  Shafts 39 

Sec.  49.  Brick  and  Hollow  Tile  Partitions 39 

Sec.  50.  Cellar  Partitions  in  Residence  Buildings. .  40 

Sec.  51.  Main  Stud  Partitions 4° 

Sec.  52.  Timber  in  Walls  Prohibited 41 


PART  VII. 

APARTMENT  HOUSES,  TENEMENT  HOUSES  AND  DWELL- 
INGS OF  CERTAIN  HEIGHTS. 

Sec.    53.  Apartment  Houses,  Tenement  Houses  and 

Dwellings  of  Certain  Heights 41 


i64 

PART  VIII. 
VAULTS,  AREAS  AND  CELLARS. 

PAGE 

Sec.     54.  Cellars  to  be  connected  with  Sewers 44 

Sec.    55.  Vaults  Under  Sidewalks 44 

Sec.    56.  Areas 44 

Sec.    57.  Cellar  Floors 45 

Sec.    58.  Cellar  Ceilings 45 

PART  IX. 
WOOD  BEAMS,  GIRDERS  AND  COLUMNS. 

Sec.    59.  Wood  Beams 45 

Sec.    60.  Anchors  and  Straps  for  Wood  Beams  and 

Girders    47 

Sec.    61.  Wood  Columns  and  Plates 47 

Sec.    62.  Timber  for  Trusses 4b 

Sec.    63.  Bolts  and  Washers  for  Timber  Work 48 

PART  X. 
CHIMNEYS,  FLUES,  FIREPLACES  AND  HEATING  PIPES. 

Sec.    64.  Trimmer  Arches 48 

Sec.    65.  Chimneys,  Flues  and  Fireplaces 49 

Sec.    66.  Chimney   Supports 50 

Sec.    67.  Chimneys  of   Cupolas 51 

Sec.     68.  Hot  Air  Flues,  Pipes  and  Vent  Ducts 51 

Sec.    69.  Steam  and  Hot  Water  Heating  Pipes....  53 

PART  XI. 
GENERAL  CONSTRUCTION. 

Sec.    70.  Ducts  for  Pipes 54 

Sec.    71.  Studded-off    Spaces 54 

Sec.    72.  Wainscoting   54 

Sec.     73.  Bay,  Oriel  and  Show  Windows 54 


PART  XII. 
STAIRS  AND  ENTRANCES. 

PAGE 

Sec.  74.  Entrance  to  Basement 55 

Sec.  75.  Stairs,  Number  Regulated  by  Area  of 

Building  55 

Sec.  76.  Engineers'  Stationary  Ladders 55 

Sec.  77.  Slate  and  Stone  Treads  of  Stairs  to  be 

Supported 56 


PART  XIII. 
SKY-LIGHTS  AND  FLOOR-LIGHTS. 

Sec.     78.  Metal  Sky-lights 56 

Sec.    79.  Floor-lights  56 


PART  XIV. 

INCLOSURE  AND  SHED  COVERINGS  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF 
PEDESTRIANS. 

Sec.    80.  Inclosure  and  Shed  Coverings  for  the  Pro- 
tection   of    Pedestrians 57 


PART  XV. 

MISCELLANEOUS  BUILDINGS. 

Sec.    81.  Grain  Elevators 59 

Sec.    82.  Exhibition  Buildings 59 

Sec.     83.  Smoke  Houses 59 


i66 

PART  XVI. 

HEATING  APPARATUS,  DRYING  ROOMS,  GAS  AND  WATER 
PIPES. 

PAGE 

Sec.    84.  Heating  Furnaces  and  Boilers 60 

Sec.    85.  Registers    61 

Sec.    86.  Drying  Rooms 62 

Sec.    87.  Ranges  and  Stoves 62 

Sec.    88.  Notice  as  to  Heating  Apparatus 64 

Sec.    89.  Gas  and  Water  Pipes 64 

PART  XVII. 

ROOFS,  LEADERS,  CORNICES,  BULKHEADS,  SCUTTLES  AND 
TANKS. 

Sec.     90.  Mansard  Roofs 65 

Sec.    91.  Cornices  and  Gutters 65 

Sec.    92.  Bulkheads  on  Roofs  and  Scuttles 66 

Sec.    93.  Tanks    66 

Sec.     94.  Roofing    and    Leaders    within    the    Fire 

Limits    67 

PART  XVIII. 

ELEVATORS,   HOISTWAYS   AND   DUMB   WAITERS. 

Sec.    95.  Elevators  and   Hoistways 68 

Sec.     96.  Elevator  Inclosures -69 

Sec.    97.  Dumb-waiter    Shafts 69 

Sec.    98.  Elevators  in  Staircase  Inclosures 70 

Sec.    99.  Elevators  in  Existing  Hotels 70 

Sec.  100.  Screen  under  Elevator  Sheaves 70 

Sec.  101.  Inspection  of  Elevators 70 


i67 

PART  XIX. 

FIRE  APPLIANCES,  FIRE  ESCAPES  AND  FIREPROOF  SHUTTERS 
AND  DOORS. 

PAGE 

Sec.  102.  Auxiliary  Fire  Apparatus  for  Buildings..      71 

Sec.  103.  Fire  Escapes 74 

Sec.  104.  Fireproof  Shutters  and  Doors 75 

PART  XX. 
FIREPROOF  BUILDINGS. 

Sec.  105.  Fireproof  Buildings 77 

Sec.  106.  Fireproof  Floors 78 

Sec-     107.   Incasing  Interior  Columns 83 

PART  XXI. 

PUBLIC  BUILDINGS,  THEATRES  AND  PLACES  OF 
ASSEMBLAGE. 

Sec.  108.  Public  Buildings 84 

Sec.  109.  Theatres   and   Places   of   Public   Amuse- 
ment       85 

PART  XXII. 
IRON   AND   STEEL   CONSTRUCTION. 

Sec.  1 10.  Skeleton  Construction 100 

Sec.  in.  Steel  and  Wrought  Iron  Columns 101 

Sec.  112.  Cast  Iron  Columns 102 

Sec.  113.  Double  Columns 103 

Sec.  114.  Party   Wall    Posts 104 

Sec.  115.  Plates    Between    Joints    of    Open    Back 

Columns    104 


168 

PAGE 

Sec.  116.  Steel  and  Iron  Girders 104 

Sec.  117.  Rolled  Steel  and  Wrought  Iron  Beams 

Used  as  Girders 105 

Sec.  118.  Cast  Iron  Lintels 105 

Sec.  119.  Plates  under  Ends  of  Lintels  and  Girders.  105 

Sec.  120.  Rolled  Steel  and  Wrought  Iron  Floor  and  * 

Roof  Beams 10; 

Sec.  I2i.  Templates  under  Ends  of  Steel  or  Iron 

Floor  Beams 106 

Sec.  122.  Framing  and  Connecting  Structural  Work.  106 
Sec.  123.  Riveting  of  Structural  Steel  and  Wrought 

Iron  Work 107 

Sec.  124.  Bolting  of  Structural  Steel  and  Wrought 

Iron  Work 108 

Sec.  125.  Steel  and  Wrought  Iron  Trusses 108 

Sec.  126.  Riveted  Steel  and  Wrought  Iron  Trusses.  108 

Sec.  127.  Steel  and  Iron  Pin-Connected  Trusses...  109 
Sec.  128.  Iron  and  other  Metal  Fronts  to  be  Filled 

in 1 10 

Sec.  129.  Painting  of  Structural  Metal  Work no 

PART  XXIII. 
FLOOR  LOADS — TEMPORARY   SUPPORTS. 

Sec.  130.  Floor  Loads no 

Sec.  131.  Load  on  Floors  to  be  Distributed 112 

Sec.  132.  Strength     of     Existing     Floors     to     be 

Calculated    112 

Sec.  133.  Strength  of  Temporary  Supports 114 

PART  XXIV. 
CALCULATIONS.    STRENGTH  OF  MATERIALS. 

Sec.  134.  Safe  Load  for  Masonry  Work 115 

Sec.  135.  Weights  of  Certain  Materials 115 


i6g 

PAGE 

Sec.  136.  Computations  for  Strength  of  Materials..  115 

Sec.  137.  Factors  of  Safety 115 

Sec.  138.  Strength  of  Columns 116 

Sec.  139.  Working  Stresses 118 

Sec.  140.  Wind  Pressure 121 


PART  XXV. 

PLUMBING  AND  DRAINAGE. 

Sec.  141.  Plumbing,  Drainage  and  Repairs  thereto.    122 

PART  XXVI. 
BUILDINGS  RAISED,  LOWERED,  ALTERED  OR  MOVED. 

Sec.  142.  Buildings   Raised,    Lowered,   Altered   or 

Moved  125 

PART  XXVII. 

FIRE  LIMITS. 
Sec.  143.  Fire  Limits 127 

PART  XXVIII. 
FRAME  BUILDINGS. 

Sec.  144.  Frame  Structures  within  the  Fire  Limits. .  134 

Sec.  145.  Frame  Buildings  Damaged 136 

Sec.  146.  Frame  Buildings  Outside  of  Fire  Limits. .  137 
Sec.  147.  Frame   Buildings  where   Streets  are  not 

Established 140 


170 

PART  XXIX. 
APPEALS  AND  MODIFICATION    OF  LAW. 

PAGE 

Sec.  148.  Board  of  Buildings 141 

Sec.  149.  Board   of    Examiners 142 


PART  XXX. 

VIOLATIONS  AND  PENALTIES.     COURTS  HAVING 
JURISDICTION. 

Sec.  150.  Violations  and  Penalties 142 

Sec.  151.  Courts  Having  Jurisdiction 144 

Sec.  152.  Notices  of  Violation  of  Code;  Service  of 

Papers  147 


PART  XXXI. 
UNSAFE  BUILDINGS,  SURVEYS,  COURT  PROCEEDINGS. 

Sec.  153.  Unsafe   Buildings 149 

Sec.  154.  Surveys  on  Unsafe  Buildings 150 

Sec.  155.  Court  Proceedings 151 

Sec.  156.  Application  for  Order  to  Remove  Viola- 
tions and  to  Vacate  Buildings 155 


PART  XXXII. 
RECOVERY  OF  BODIES  UNDER  FALLEN  BUILDINGS. 

Sec.  157.  Recovery  of  Bodies  under  Fallen  Build- 
ings      157 


171 

PART  XXXIII. 

FUND  FOR  USE  AND  BENEFIT  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF 
BUILDINGS. 

PAGE 

Sec.  158.  Fund  for  Use  and  Benefit  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Buildings 15$ 

PART  XXXIV. 

SEAL.     OFFICERS  OF  DEPARTMENT  MAY  ENTER 
BUILDINGS. 

Sec.  159.  Seal  159 

Sec.  160.  Officers  of  Department  May  Enter  Build- 
ings  159 

PART  XXXV. 

EXISTING  SUITS  AND  LIABILITIES.     INVALIDITY  OF  ONE 
SECTION   NOT  TO   INVALIDATE  ANY  OTHER. 

Sec.  161.  Existing  Suits  and  Liabilities 160 

Sec.  162.  The    Invalidity   of   One    Section    not   to 

Invalidate  any  Other 160 

PART  XXXVI. 

ORDINANCES  REPEALED  :    DATE  WHEN  ORDINANCE  TAKES 
EFFECT. 

Sec.  163.  Repealing  Inconsistent  Ordinances 160 

Sec.  164.  Date  when  Ordinance  is  to  Take  Effect..    160 


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